Greetings from the far west of Canada. Spring has sprung here, and with it the cherry blossoms fill the streets. It’s still not that warm though, only about 2 to 3 degrees at night. Brrrr!
But I wanted to talk about cars, and particularly the difference I’ve experienced with driving here. It’s a whole new ball game.
I got my BC license when I got my permanent residence, and as you probably know it’s left-hand drive out here, driving on the right-hand side of the road. But there’s a whole new set of road rules and courtesies which I’ve taken great delight in adapting to.
First main thing to be aware of – pedestrians have a complete right of way. Pedestrians do not become a target as soon as they step off the kerb, which I would suggest is the case in Scotland. They are supposed to use a cross-walk and wait for the “white man walking” sign, and there are plenty of such crosswalks on every main thoroughfare. But pedestrians have right of way anyways if there is any doubt.
Driving in Scotland is way more aggressive and stressful than here. I don’t know whether it’s the volume of vehicles crammed into much narrower streets, or the traffic rules, or our nature maybe – certainly a combination, but so far, for me, driving here is way more relaxed and courteous. I’m not saying that there aren’t courteous drivers in Birnam and Dunkeld by the way, don’t get me wrong. My comparison is, I suppose, to Perth.
Now Perth has a much smaller population (66,000) compared to Victoria (300,000), but it’s a way more harassed place to drive there than here. You know how there’s invariably queues of traffic at busy junctions with no traffic lights, and it’s frustrating as anything waiting stationary, wanting to get going. Or stuck at the A9 junction with a tailback down past the surgery entrance, and the queue has blocked off the road to Birnam because some thoughtless person doesn’t know their road code and certainly has no manners. Girn girn girn!
Here they have 4-way STOP junctions at busy intersections without traffic lights. Each individual car takes it in turns to move off dependent on the order they arrived at the junction, and there’s usually an orderly and gradual progression that keeps things moving smoothly. If 2 cars arrive at the same time, there’s a simple convention to determine who goes first. Easy-peasey. And at our equivalent of the A9 junction? Traffic lights! Mounted high up over the carriageway where they are easily seen at distance. A no-brainer! Weight-sensitive sensors embedded in the approach road trigger the traffic lights when needed; they remain green above the main carriageway if there’s no approach-road traffic.
So reduce the road speed limits and increase the fines for breaking the speed limit. Far better to reach your destination in a more relaxed, sedate manner with a lower speed limit, than trying to emulate a Formula 1 driver and get there as quickly as possibly at as high a speed as you can get away with. It’s also more economical, uses less fuel and less wear and tear on your car.
I could chunter on for ages, but that’s probably enough for now. Until next time, try driving 10 mph slower next time you’re out.
