Roads, Rules and Regulations
The best roads for covering long distances quickly are the straight and fast multilane highways that radiate for some distance from major population centres. These have a maximum of six lanes divided by a central causeway and are marked on maps with thick lines and shields that contain the highway number. Outside populated areas, highways go down to one lane each way and, though paved, the hard shoulder consists of gravel - which you must on all accounts avoid hitting at speed as this will throw you into a spin, a potentially lethal experience. Up in the north and off the beaten track, highways may be entirely of gravel - broken windscreens are an occupational hazard on some stretches of the Alaska Highway, for example. Note also that after rain gravel and dirt roads are especially treacherous and indeed if you're planning a lot of dirt-road driving, you'd be well advised to rent a four-wheel-drive. The Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) travels from coast to coast and is marked by maple-leaf signs at regular intervals along its length. Different sections of the TCH do, however, carry different highway numbers and in some places the TCH forks to offer more than one possible routing. Lesser roads go by a variety of names - county roads, provincial routes, rural roads or forest roads. Out in the wilds rural and forest roads are rarely paved. Canadians drive on the right-hand side of the road. In most urban areas streets are arranged on a grid system, with traffic lights at most intersections; at junctions without lights there will be either yellow triangular "Yield" signs or red octagonal "Stop" signs ("Arret" in Quebec) at all four corners. In the latter case, priority is given to the first car to arrive, and to the car on the right if two or more cars arrive at the same time. Except in Quebec, you can turn right on a red light if there is no traffic approaching from the left. Traffic in both directions must stop if a yellow school bus is stationary with its flashing lights on, as this means children are getting on or off. Roundabouts or rotaries are almost unknown. Exits on multilane highways are numbered by the kilometre distance from the beginning of the highway, as opposed to sequentially - thus exit 55 is 10km after exit 45. This system works fine, but gets a little confusing when junctions are close together and carry the same number supplemented by "A", "B", etc. Rural road hazards include bears, moose and other large animals trundling into the road - particularly in the summer, and at dawn and dusk, when the beasts crash through the undergrowth onto the highway to escape the flies, and in spring, when they are attracted to the salt on the roads. Warning signs are posted in the more hazardous areas. Headlights can dazzle wild animals and render them temporarily immobile. Driving laws are made at provincial level, but the uniform maximum speed limit is 100kph on major highways, 80kph on rural highways and 50 kph or less in built-up areas - though there has been some provincial tinkering with the maximum limit on the highways, experiments which may result in permanent change. Canadians have a justifiable paranoia about speed traps and the traffic-control planes that hover over major highways to catch offenders - if you see one, slow down. On-the-spot fines are standard for speeding violations, for failing to carry your licence with you, and for having anyone on board who isn't wearing a seat belt . Canadian law also requires that any alcohol be carried unopened in the boot of the car, and it can't be stressed enough that drunk driving is a very serious offence. Bars in some provinces now have designated driver schemes whereby the driver of a group gives the keys to the head barperson and is then given free soft drinks all night; if the driver is spotted taking a sip of alcohol, he or she must pay for all the soft drinks consumed and leave their keys in the bar until the following morning. On the road, spot checks are frequently carried out, particularly at the entrances and exits to towns, and the police do not need an excuse to stop you. If you are over the limit your keys and licence will be taken away, and you may end up in jail for a few days. In cities parking meters are commonplace, charging 25c-$1 or more per hour. Car parks charge up to $30 a day. If you park in the wrong place (such as within 5m of a fire hydrant) your car will be towed away - if this happens, the police will tell you where your car is impounded and then charge you upwards of $150 to hand it back. A minor parking offence will set you back around $25; clamps are also routinely used in major cities, with a fine of between $100 and $150. Also, when parking, ensure you park in the same direction as the traffic flows. If you're using your own vehicle - or borrowing a friend's - get the appropriate insurance and make sure you're covered for free breakdown service . Your home motoring organization will issue an appropriate insurance and breakdown policy with all the appropriate documentation. The Canadian Automobile Association, Suite 200, 1145 Hunt Club Rd, Ottawa, ON K1V 0Y3 (tel 613/820-1890), is the biggest recovery and repair company in Canada, and has offices in most major cities.
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