Car makes dangerous pass on Alberta highway

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

Are you allowed to be given a ticket based on footage from someone's dash cam?

Why don't we just fit all vehicles with a camera and there will be no need for any police on the highways.

Yes you are. It's a no demerits ticket but you can be ticketed for dangerous driving if you are the registered owner even if they can't prove who's driving.

Edit: I should add it's only a no demerits ticket if they can't prove who was driving otherwise it's a regular ticket.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by polak

I would love to take the people in this thread that don't know how to drive and plop them into a car any where else in the world and watch them get torn apart by other drivers and police.

And I'd love to take those praising German-style autobahns and driving culture and plop them into German driving culture. See how they react to mandatory new driver training of 14 theory classes and at least 12 driving lessons, costing upwards of $2,000. Not to mention the mandatory eyesight certificate and first aid course. Then there's the fact that both the written exam and driving test are far more difficult than in Canada, and there's a high likelihood they'll fail and have to take exams again. Then there's the higher cost of registration and insurance. And let's not forget the much higher taxes that help pay for the extensive public transit required in a country where strugglers are kept off the road.

[polak]

All of that sounds awesome and I'd love for it to be applied here.

Much better than catering to the lowest common denominator

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

This has been said before in other threads I'm sure, but the best way to drive up the QEII is to throw on your cruise control to 110, plant yourself in the right lane, and enjoy driving nirvana. You'll probably only have to pass a hand full of cars on your total trip - the drive is so much more enjoyable.

Yep honestly way better than trying to pass a car every two seconds. Was actually lucky a few weeks ago driving up and there was hardly any traffic. Put the cruise control at 118 and stayed in the right lane almost the entire time except for the occasional pass and then back over to the right lane.

In my younger years I'd probably be doing 135 average and be so stressed out trying to pass cars the entire time.

[btimbit]

That's the way to do it. 115-120, stick to the right lane as much as possible. Traffic usually flows around those speeds on that road, you'll only have to pass a few trucks

Originally Posted by polak

Frankly wording it "Slower Traffic Keep Right" was a mistake. It should be "Keep Right Except to Pass". That way you eliminate the strugglers interpretation that "slower traffic" some how translates to "traffic going less than the speed limit" and not you know... slower traffic.

It is getting better though. I remember when I first started driving it seemed like you'd get stuck behind Left lane strugglers all the time. Now I'd say it's a lot more rare. What isn't getting better is people not waiting for the faster traffic to pass before they get in the left lane i.e. they'll cut off someone going 125 to pass someone at 110.

If it was worded "Keep Right except to Pass" you could enforce Autobahn style rules where no one is allowed to linger in the left lane. The moment you are done passing you have to get over or you get a ticket. European police will give you a ticket for being a left lane struggler waaaaaaay before giving someone a speeding ticket. It's also illegal to pass on the right. That's the way it should be. Going 130 isn't that dangerous, but messing up the flow of traffic is.

I agree completely, especially about making it illegal to pass people on their blind side, but I do think you definitely need to make the QEII 3 lanes each way before you could do it.

Really, the Autobahn, while a big improvement over anything e have here, still isn't that great. You just get cut off by Polish truck drivers and crazy Latvians all the time

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by polak

....
If it was worded "Keep Right except to Pass" you could enforce Autobahn style rules where no one is allowed to linger in the left lane. The moment you are done passing you have to get over or you get a ticket. European police will give you a ticket for being a left lane struggler waaaaaaay before giving someone a speeding ticket. It's also illegal to pass on the right. That's the way it should be. Going 130 isn't that dangerous, but messing up the flow of traffic is.

I'd be fine with making all those changes, but if I'm passing someone on the right then it should be that left lane struggler that gets the ticket.

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I've never seen people doing the speed limit in the left lane of a highway or freeway, unless there's so much traffic there's no room in the right lane(s). The most common scenario is a 110 limit, cars in the right lane doing around 115, and cars in the left lane passing them doing around 120-125. Then the occasional driver doing 130+ drives up to the bumper of those doing 120. Like I said, I'll get out of the way. But let's not pretend left lanes are there to ensure those driving 20+ over the limit are never impeded.

Only if the left lane strugglers also agree to not pretend they are some magically deputized police there to stop anyone else from speeding.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by polak

All of that sounds awesome and I'd love for it to be applied here.

Much better than catering to the lowest common denominator

Honestly can't believe how easily I got my license on my 16th birthday after maybe driving a car a dozen times. Now I'm not saying I sucked or anything but was I capable of making smart decisions on Deerfoot at high speeds? Probably not at that age or experience. I know they've since made it a little tougher with GDL and all that but still way too easy to get your license here.

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

Honestly can't believe how easily I got my license on my 16th birthday after maybe driving a car a dozen times. Now I'm not saying I sucked or anything but was I capable of making smart decisions on Deerfoot at high speeds? Probably not at that age or experience. I know they've since made it a little tougher with GDL and all that but still way too easy to get your license here.

yep, so easy here, I would love to see it become much harder to get. I find it crazy too that cars and trucks towing trailers are the same licence. you passed a 15 min test driving a civic around crowfoot? well then have fun with your new F-250 and 40' fifth wheel trailer driving thru the mountains, I'm sure you're totally good. snow tires? nah! you've got a truck

[Looch City]

It's easier to say lets make the tests harder when you already have your license.

I'm sure there would be public outcry and riots if German rules were implemented in the Western world haha.

People don't want to think about the greater good.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Swarly

I'd be fine with making all those changes, but if I'm passing someone on the right then it should be that left lane struggler that gets the ticket.

Once again, it isn't that simple. I've passed a series of vehicles (I'm going 120, other cars are going 110.) Just as I get far enough ahead to safely change in the right lane, the guy on my tail swoops around me to pass on the right. Am I a left lane struggler at that point because I allowed for a few car lengths?

[Engine09]

People in this city are insane when it comes to driving in the left lane. I've been hyper-focusing on this lately and it's driving me nuts.

Merge onto a 2 lane road and the cars in front of me immediately move to the fast lane, not even a second delay. No time to get a feel for how fast traffic is moving, they just move over. Even if there is no one in sight up ahead, right lane clear, still they move over to the fast lane.

I watch them later after I pass on the right, they're not making an immediate left turn. I just don't get it, I wish I could ask these people what they are thinking.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Iggy City

It's easier to say lets make the tests harder when you already have your license.

I'm sure there would be public outcry and riots if German rules were implemented in the Western world haha.

People don't want to think about the greater good.

The 'poor me' crowd would be unbearable. Imagine the headlines. "Government wants to make it harder for Albertans to get to work" "How am I supposed to feed my kids if I can't drive?" and the token picture of a sad looking family in front of their car.

Ugh, I hate people

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Once again, it isn't that simple. I've passed a series of vehicles (I'm going 120, other cars are going 110.) Just as I get far enough ahead to safely change in the right lane, the guy on my tail swoops around me to pass on the right. Am I a left lane struggler at that point because I allowed for a few car lengths?

no, not at all. That can happen and guy behind you is a complete dink. I'm thinking about times I've passed on the right when deerfoot is less busy but people still want to sit in the left lane(s). Can't even count the number of times it is better to be in the right lane with no other cars while a bunch of donkeys are staying in the left lanes.

[Engine09]

Originally Posted by Swarly

Can't even count the number of times it is better to be in the right lane with no other cars while a bunch of donkeys are staying in the left lanes.

Absolutely, it has hit the point where it's actually quicker to get around this city by staying in the right lane.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Iggy City

It's easier to say lets make the tests harder when you already have your license.

I'm sure there would be public outcry and riots if German rules were implemented in the Western world haha.

Yeah. I doubt there's a lot of overlap between the speeding entitlement crowd and those who are happy to pay more and endure greater regulation for the public good. Even something as modest as a mandated 4-day driving course and exam for all drivers in Alberta, at the meagre coast of $650, would go over like a lead balloon.

[polak]

When I did my "advanced" test (the one to clear the GDL) some guy slipped on ice and hit his head as we were pulling out of the parking lot to start the test so we got out to help and after that the instructor said we wouldn't do the full route cause that ate into our time.

All I had to do was drive on Macleod to anderson then down Elbow to Heritage and back onto Macleod and to the registry. No parking or anything. I don't even know what I got graded on (besides stopping to close to the car in front which I got deducted for, meh)

[btimbit]

I don't even think you should have to increase the cost, just change the standards. Less mistakes, maybe add some more criteria

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Once again, it isn't that simple. I've passed a series of vehicles (I'm going 120, other cars are going 110.) Just as I get far enough ahead to safely change in the right lane, the guy on my tail swoops around me to pass on the right. Am I a left lane struggler at that point because I allowed for a few car lengths?

If I suspect the guy behind me is gonna try that, I put my signal on as my rear passes the front of the car I'm passing. This lets the dink behind know I am going to move over, but I don't do it until I'm safe. I hate people that cut in as soon as they pass you, especially in the winter when they shower your car with rocks. People are a-holes.

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by polak

When I did my "advanced" test (the one to clear the GDL) some guy slipped on ice and hit his head as we were pulling out of the parking lot to start the test so we got out to help and after that the instructor said we wouldn't do the full route cause that ate into our time.

All I had to do was drive on Macleod to anderson then down Elbow to Heritage and back onto Macleod and to the registry. No parking or anything. I don't even know what I got graded on (besides stopping to close to the car in front which I got deducted for, meh)

Wow, I was in before the GDL but my test didn't take me anywhere close to a road as busy as Macleod. I tested at the crowfoot registry and drove around the community of Ranchlands for maybe 15 mins, during which I had to 'parallel park' along a street with no cars, turned left onto John Laurie and right back to the registry. I was so mad I had 'wasted' my time doing the whole AMA training thing for that joke of a test. (*don't think the AMA test is actually a waste at all, just did when I was 16, I'm probably a much better driver for it)

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by Iggy City

It's easier to say lets make the tests harder when you already have your license.

I'm sure there would be public outcry and riots if German rules were implemented in the Western world haha.

People don't want to think about the greater good.

Of course it's easier to say when I'm not 16 and am not a kid anymore and I can actually think of the greater good. My 16 year old self was thinking about girls and cars so no surprise I didn't care how easily I got my license.

And there would be public outcry by the people who can't pass the tests which doesn't really matter. Aren't good enough to drive? Then you can't drive. Driving isn't a right.