Driving in Alberta Canada

[Jack Russell]

I'm of to see my aunt in St Albert on Friday and intend renting a car and going off for a few days drive, through Alberta perhaps British Colombia and down to the US.

I have in mind something like a 10 day trip, intending to do about 300 miles a day, as the starting point, which I'll modify according to weather conditions and how I actually feel once on the road.

I'll spend the first few days with my aunt first so as to drive with her and get used to things before venturing out on my own, armed with maps and TomTom, now fitted with a North America SD card!

One thing that surprised me in testing the TomTom with a prepared 'navigate' is that from St Albert to Boston MA, 2693 miles it takes 67 turns, the drop in the ocean 52 miles to Bracknell from East Barnet takes 23 turns

Anyway I digress.

I've been studying the Basic Licence Driver's Handbook (Province of Alberta) and somewhat think their graded licence system of class 7 learner, up to class 1 artics, makes a lot of sense.

It's on this page: http://transportation.alberta.ca/531.htm
Basic Licence Driver's Handbook PDF

Cars are class 5 and it appears that once you pass the basic car test you are then a probationer for 2 years after which you can then take the advanced test and become a full class 5. Until you are full class 5 you can't sit with another learner or drive between certain nigh time hours, there are stricter alcohol rules and they have a points systems similar to ours where as a probationer the point at which you loose your licence for too many points is lower than for a non probationer, although they only suspend it not revoke it as here.

Reading the steering section though they advise hand over hand to get lock on, and letting the wheel go for lock off


When turning a corner, use a hand-over-hand method of steering. When straightening out after a turn, let the steering wheel slide back into position by loosening your grip, or use the hand-over-hand method to recover your steering.

I hope to have plenty of fun.

Any tips will be gratefully received.

Pete

[Porker]

I did a couple of thousand miles in Canada about ten years ago. I don't think you'll have any particular problems, but it's wise to remember that distances between towns (and fuel stops) in Canada are greater than we're used to in the UK!

regards
P.

[kfae8959]

I can't speak for Canada, but if you venture into the US, it's worth having a look at the Drivers' Manual for Massachusetts (http://www.mass.gov/rmv/dmanual/index.htm) and bearing in mind that, although driving practises are fairly consistent from State to State, the law may be different: DC and Virginia have slightly different approaches to four-way stops in their drivers' manuals, for example, although in practice it tends to be "first to stop is first to go" in both.

The roads also tend to be much more heavily patrolled by police than ours, but since you won't be doing anything to attract attention, you needn't worry about that.

[Jack Russell]

Just got back from Canada and in time to recover the jet lag for Saturday in Andover.

In the event I drove only in Alberta, leaving the US for another time.

I can sum up by saying the driving was extremely simple, the only major error I nearly made was drive up a one-way street , however I did notice the 'wrong way' notice in plenty of time and simply choose another turn instead.

In Driving an automatic I was even surprised that my left foot did not stamp hard on the brake, thinking it was a clutch.

Oh yes and the car was a Subaru Impreza