[Dan416]

I must say, Ontario drivers are really slow. On average I've seen people barely doing over 100kph standing on the left lane when there's no traffic.
Also, Ontario drivers seem a lot (and i mean a lot) less aggressive then drivers in Quebec.
They seem to be afraid to merge into traffic.

100 in the left lane in no traffic? That i have not seen. I think the left lane is often 120. Middle lane is around 110. Right lane 100 or 90.

In traffic, all lanes go slowly, e.g. when I drive to work in the morning anywhere between 30 and 80.

 

[nfitz]

I usually stick in the middle lane on a 3 lane highway because I tend to travel at middle of the pack speeds. I leave the right lane for trucks and slowpokes, and the left lane for people who want to risk getting speeding tickets. I can set my cruise to a reasonable level in the middle lane, and cut into the left lane when I need to to pass someone.

Ah ... but are you one of those annoying drivers who stays in the middle lane, where there is nothing at all in the right, forcing those behind you to have to overtake on the right?

 

[MisterF]

I usually stick in the middle lane on a 3 lane highway because I tend to travel at middle of the pack speeds. I leave the right lane for trucks and slowpokes, and the left lane for people who want to risk getting speeding tickets. I can set my cruise to a reasonable level in the middle lane, and cut into the left lane when I need to to pass someone.

I know it's been mentioned a bunch of times already, but everyone should drive in the right lane unless they have to change lanes to pass. Not just trucks. The middle lane isn't the default car lane. When people stick to the middle lane no matter what, it reduces the speed and capacity of the entire highway. A rule of thumb: if someone is passing you on the right, you're in the wrong lane.

 

[gweed123]

Ah ... but are you one of those annoying drivers who stays in the middle lane, where there is nothing at all in the right, forcing those behind you to have to overtake on the right?

Most of the time when you're driving on the 401 there will always be a truck or a slow moving car in the right lane. And if you're going faster than I am, pass on the left. I usually drive in the middle lane at 120. If you're going faster than that, you can pass me on the left like you're supposed to. When I encounter someone in the middle lane doing slower than I am, I pass them on the left and then get back into the middle lane.

 

[JoeParez]

Most of the time when you're driving on the 401 there will always be a truck or a slow moving car in the right lane. And if you're going faster than I am, pass on the left. I usually drive in the middle lane at 120. If you're going faster than that, you can pass me on the left like you're supposed to. When I encounter someone in the middle lane doing slower than I am, I pass them on the left and then get back into the middle lane.

I think this is where we get alot of issues on the road; simply people forgetting or not caring about the rules of the road. I'd love to be stuck behind you on a highway because I would be thinking "Wow, at least this guy gets it!".

• No one signals
• No one check their blind spots
• No one knows how to merge properly (I've often encountered drivers just "diving" into a lane change)
• Some drivers hit their brakes when beginning/completing a lane change.
• Some drivers slow down, or even stop on the on ramps to highways.

And my biggest pet peeve?

When drivers get out of a line of a backed up lane, drive down a flowing lane (or on/off ramp), then STOP and wait for someone to let them in to the backed up lane again. Thus disrupting one lane of traffic because some idiot got out of a backed up lane, to get back into a backed up lane!

 

[gweed123]

When drivers get out of a line of a backed up lane, drive down a flowing lane (or on/off ramp), then STOP and wait for someone to let them in to the backed up lane again. Thus disrupting one lane of traffic because some idiot got out of a backed up lane, to get back into a backed up lane!

I love it when people do this, especially when I'm only a couple cars away from where they want to merge back in. I purposely hug the guy in front of me's bumper (so they can't wedge themselves in), and then I give them the finger when I go by. It's my little way of saying "don't be an asshole next time" . It's even better when the guy behind me does the same thing, so they end up merging back in pretty much exactly where they got out.

I find truckers are very good at preventing this, I've seen several times a trucker drive right beside another trucker in the lane that's merging (going at the same speed as the slow lane, so that he's not actually jumping ahead in line), just to prevent anyone from zipping by and trying to cut in further down. I'd gladly let that trucker in at the merge.

 

[cityplaceguy]

I love it when people do this, especially when I'm only a couple cars away from where they want to merge back in. I purposely hug the guy in front of me's bumper (so they can't wedge themselves in), and then I give them the finger when I go by. It's my little way of saying "don't be an asshole next time" . It's even better when the guy behind me does the same thing, so they end up merging back in pretty much exactly where they got out.

I find truckers are very good at preventing this, I've seen several times a trucker drive right beside another trucker in the lane that's merging (going at the same speed as the slow lane, so that he's not actually jumping ahead in line), just to prevent anyone from zipping by and trying to cut in further down. I'd gladly let that trucker in at the merge.

Well i must admit I have to do this some times if im running late as my job requiores me to travel alot all over the city. Doing this can actually save me up to 30 min on the 401, what pisses me off is that on some of these lanes they put solid lines now further out to try to prevent it, but it still happens. If im in no rush i wait like everyone else, but if time is of the essence then i go for it, and yes some people whine like babies about it but someone always letting you in. It actually the truckers slowing down that makes more problems, they leave 20 car gaps when traffic move up.

Come be with the best forget the rest!

 

[DKB]

Its intersting to read what people think about driving in Canada.
I m German, living in Toronto for more than 8 years and to make it clear...
I love it here.... BUT driving here makes me crazy.
Its obviously for me that people here never had proper driver lessons, devoloped
a feeling for speed nor knowing the size of their cars. I think driver seeing their cars
as an extension of their living room, where you can drink coffee, listen radio or just dream. Usually when I m back home, I am taking my parents car to drive fast, really fast (for canadian standards) and I feel safer there, then driving only 120km/h on 427!
My conclusion is, TAKE DRIVING LESSONS and then FOLLOW RULES!!!!

 

[gweed123]

Well i must admit I have to do this some times if im running late as my job requiores me to travel alot all over the city. Doing this can actually save me up to 30 min on the 401, what pisses me off is that on some of these lanes they put solid lines now further out to try to prevent it, but it still happens. If im in no rush i wait like everyone else, but if time is of the essence then i go for it, and yes some people whine like babies about it but someone always letting you in. It actually the truckers slowing down that makes more problems, they leave 20 car gaps when traffic move up.

Come be with the best forget the rest!

So in otherwords when you're in a rush your time is more important than everyone else's?

 

[cityplaceguy]

So when people taking their sweet time 80km/h in open left lane their time is less important/valuable than mine?

 

[gweed123]

So when people taking their sweet time 80km/h in open left lane their time is less important/valuable than mine?

What does the left lane have to do with cutting out and then cutting back in at a merge? When two lanes merge down to one, one car from the left lane goes, then one from the right, etc. Cutting out and running down to the end when people have already merged may save you time, but it slows everyone else down.

 

[cityplaceguy]

Just trying to make a point thats all, some are aggressive some are submissive.

BTW has anyone noticed that some of the worst drivers out there drive Corollas? Is it just me?

Also handling is not on par with all cars, european cars can take turns i.e highway ramps at a faster speed, than other cars that dont handle too well. The worst are SUV and pickups. These type of cars have higher death rates than others in single vehicle accidents of course as physics becomes involved whe bigger car hits smaller. However crash a truck/Suv into a fixed object vs car into fixed objuect physics works in favour of car usually smaller, same goes for roll-overs etc.

Come to me if you want the best!

 

[spider]

cityplaceguy
Do you invoke the "it's me and I'm in a hurry" rule at traffic lights as well?

 

[nfitz]

Most of the time when you're driving on the 401 there will always be a truck or a slow moving car in the right lane.

I really don't know why you think your so familiar with my driving habits that you know what I encounter!

I often drive the 3-lane rural pieces of 401 late at night when the road is quite empty. Quite frequently I'm going along at 120, in the right hand lane, and come across someone who is doing 110 in the middle lane - with not another vehicle in site anywhere.

And it's very annoying to change 2 lanes to pass them, and change 2 lanes to go back to the right-hand lane.

And if you're going faster than I am, pass on the left.

Why should I have to change 2 lanes twice because you think the rules doesn't apply to you?

 

[gweed123]

I really don't know why you think your so familiar with my driving habits that you know what I encounter!

I was referring mainly to my experience driving the 401, which is usually in the evening coming from Ottawa, and late afternoon from Toronto. The amount of trucks on the road at that time is ridiculous, and I would rather avoid playing the weave game every minute.

I often drive the 3-lane rural pieces of 401 late at night when the road is quite empty. Quite frequently I'm going along at 120, in the right hand lane, and come across someone who is doing 110 in the middle lane - with not another vehicle in site anywhere.

Then that person shouldn't be in the middle lane. If you're doing less than the people to the right of you, you should get over to the right. But as long as you are consistently going faster than everyone in the right lane (especially when the right lane is full), then it's safer if you avoid weaving back and forth between lanes.

Why should I have to change 2 lanes twice because you think the rules doesn't apply to you?

To me it just makes much more sense to have the right lane for slow moving vehicles, the middle lane for decently moving vehicles, and the left lane for fast moving vehicles. This means less weaving back and forth between lanes, which is safer for everybody. Doing 120 in the slow lane is just as dangerous as doing 100 in the fast lane. I mean this for when there's traffic on the road. When the road is empty, yes by default I stick to the right. But as I said, most of the time when I'm driving the 401, it's far from empty. Hence my rationale.

Now having said that, on a 4 lane highway I stick in the right lane unless I have to pass, but I find when I'm driving the 401 more often than not I spend most of my time in the left lane anyways, because I spend most of my time passing trucks that are doing under 110.