Driving? It's what I do.

Just spent six days at speed doing Targa Newfoundland.

And what do I do the day after I get home?

Get in a BMW X6 M and go for a six hour drive to Mont-Tremblant for the fourth (and highest) level of the BMW Driver Trianing Program. Details on that later.

Driving into Quebec as I have done a million times - just mentioning that so you know these observations are not based on a statistical sample of one - I am reminded of the differences in the driving culture.

And the similarities.

Differences?

Generally, the cars they drive are smaller, less expensive, more fuel-efficient. Gasoline was 92.9 a litre in Ontario; it's 1:10 here.

'NUff said.

It is also generally thought that there is a more European driving style here.

I believe that stereotypically, Ontarians also tend to think that Quebecers drive faster and more recklessly than we do.

Faster? I don't think there's much doubt about that, based at least on anecdotal evidence.

More reckless?

Well, statistically, their seat belt wearing rate ranks at or near the top of our country's list, so they score well there.

Not sure what the crash stats say, but I don't think they are materially different from other provinces.

I believe that part of what makes their driving look more adventurous, at least on the urban freeways on which Ontarians are most likely to drive, is that their lanes are narrower, the shoulders often almost non-existent, and many of their exit ramps (at least in Montreal) are on the left, out of supposedly the fast lane.

That is just plain stupid.

Their construction zones are also much more poorly marked and signed than in Ontario. I went from several construction zones on the 401 to several on Autoroute 15 north to Tremblant, and in Quebec, they looked like something you'd expect to see in a third-world country.

Unacceptable.

One issue where Quebecers are sadly similar to Ontarians and decidedly non-European is middle-lane banditry. On a three-lane freeway, the lane of choice is the middle one.

WHY???

Comments

[Mike T.]

Jim, you ask why the middle lane is the lane of choice on 3-lane highways. That's easy - driving in the middle lane is just less hassle than any other lane. The middle-laners don't get mixed up in all the comings & goings of the right (Jim & Mike) lane plus they can do their 110 all day and let the 130'ers whizz by in the "passing" lane. I'll guarantee that NONE of them are aware of what the HTA says about lane discipline and why should they care? The cops don't. They probably don't know either. I'd love to know in which lane Julian's chauffeur drives (and at what speed too!). Me, I drive in the Jim lane where I do most of my overtaking too.

[Brian]

I find driving in "la belle province" that since the signs are in French, sometimes I miss some of the alerts about upcoming construction or other problems.

As for the reckless driving... Being a driver in Quebec isn't much harder. Being a pedestrian is another story. Ever tried to cross Ste. Catherine? Even though you have the lights in your favour its like playing frogger.