First Time Riding In Canada

Some Traffic Rules and Differences

As this will be my first time riding in Canada, and Kate’s first time riding anywhere other than the UK, she has always travelled as a pillion on past transatlantic adventures, I thought it might be prudent to do a little research. From the investigations I have carried out- mainly reading other blogs and advisory websites – Riding\Driving in Canada is an absolute joy; wide, open spaces and a lot less traffic than we are used to in the UK. Not to mention the magnificent views😁. We are hoping that riding in Canada is going to be a spectacular experience.

There will be some things that may take a little time to get used to. Riding on the right for Kate will initially seem quite a challenge I imagine. I have driven and ridden in the USA a number of times – bike tours, Florida holidays, etc. – not always successfully I hasten to add. See this post here of our unfortunate Route 66 ending. It doesn’t actually take that long to get used to riding a motorcycle on the “wrong” side of the road, if you take it easy, and concentrate, for the first few miles. I think it is easier than driving a car as you have more room to manoeuvre in the carriageway. So, more room for mistakes or poor positioning. These are something we will be hoping to avoid of course.😂

One thing that will probably take a little time to get our heads around is the switch from Miles to Kilometres. Canada adopted the Metric system sometime in the late 1960’s, unlike it’s southerly neighbours who still use the Imperial system of weights and measures. So speed limits and distances on road signs will not “compute” initially. Though, obviously the bikes speedo will also be calibrated in Km, so matching the speedo to the signage shouldn’t be difficult. It just may seem that we are travelling slower than we are used to.

For example motorway speed is generally 100km/h (62 mph) but in parts of British Columbia it can be as high as 120km/h (74mph). In built-up areas it is usually 50km/h (31mph), and can be much lower around schools. Canadian police are also, apparently, very keen to enforce speed limits and are often seen parked at the side monitoring drivers to ensure they are adhering to the posted limit. If we do get pulled up for speeding I will put on my best British accent and apologise profusely 🤣 in the the hope of a caution, rather than a ticket.

Obviously all drivers in Canada are required to have a valid licence, and in most provinces you can start driving from the age of 16. While the precise requirements vary from province to province, as tourists in Canada we will be allowed to drive with our UK licences providing it is valid for the type of vehicle considered for hire. And, of course, our UK driver’s license is valid, unexpired, and includes a photograph for the duration of our stay. And because our licences are in English there is no need for us to apply for an International Driving Permit. Also the minimum age to hire a vehicle in Canada is 21, so we just about satisfy that requirement.🤣

Road signs and markings do not appear to be too dissimilar to those found in the USA, like the use of yellow lines to signify the centre of the road where there is two way traffic. Yellow lines separate traffic travelling in opposite directions. Similar to the UK a solid line means it is unsafe to pass or overtake.

 

Individual lanes are then marked out using broken white lines, as in the UK. It is advisable to travel in the far right hand lane unless passing other vehicles. Passing is done on the left, with trucks barred from the far left lane.

Which brings me on to one point that is very different from UK roads. Throughout most of Canada, turning right is permitted on red lights, unless a sign indicates not to do so. You must first yield to traffic from the left and cyclists and pedestrians crossing the road. It is also advisable that you stop in the left hand lane if travelling straight ahead to allow those who wish to turn right the opportunity to do so.

It is also illegal in all Canadian provinces for motorcycles to filter or lane split. So we will possibly have to get used to queueing in traffic for periods of time in the cities.😟

The one type of junction we always seem to fall foul of is the “4 Way”. These are cross roads which have a Stop sign at each road junction, it’s basically the person who arrives at the stop sign first who has right of way. It takes us a little while to get used to, and we make the occasional error at these, but in the end it makes sense. I’m sure that some drivers get more than a little frustrated with foreign drivers hesitating or moving off too soon.

 

Canada has a reputation for its wildlife, so while we’re riding around the country we’re hoping to come across some amazing animals on the way. We will need to watch out for large animals on the roads – there should, hopefully, be signs to alert us to their possible presence – advice is not to ignore them! Deer, elk, and moose can be a hazard for cars, let alone motorcycles, especially at night when they are more likely to be mesmerised by headlights. The  recommendation is to drive slowly, particularly around corners where animals are likely to present themselves. In Alberta, Big Horn Sheep are common, which could cause some serious damage in a collision – not to mention distressing these beautiful creatures.

 

Another thing that we will have to keep our eyes open for on the scenic routes are “Animal Jams”; cars stopping for pictures of bears, elk and other wildlife on the roads.😁

So, once we have got used to the nuances of Canadian road etiquette I’m sure we’ll have the most amazing road trip.

If any of you have any tips for riding\driving in Canada I would love it if you shared them with me.

Not quite sure when the next post will be as there is not a great deal to share yet, but please subscribe to the blog and you’ll be notified when I do post an update.