Canada traffic rules to be aware of · Traffic rules to be aware of in Canada
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Traffic rules to be aware of in Canada
Traffic rules to be aware of in Canada
Canadians drive on the right of the road.
In the province of Quebec, roadsigns are written solely in French but for the most part their meaning is obvious.
Canadians use the metric system for traffic measurements (hence speed is quoted in kilometres per hour, and distances in kilometres).
In many areas of Canada (with the exception of Montreal) it is legal to turn right (after stopping) on a red light. Drivers may also turn left after stopping at a red if they are turning onto a one-way street from another one-way street.
Pedestrians have the right of way at intersections and crosswalks, provided they are not crossing against a signal.
In Canada, you must always yield to a police car, fire truck, or ambulance when their emergency lights are flashing - if they are approaching from behind, you must pull to the right and stop.
Private vehicles displaying flashing green lights in Ontario are volunteer fight fighters responding to an emergency, and should be yielded to as a matter of common sense.
In many jurisdictions, including British Columbia, motorists are also required to slow down and move into a non-adjacent lane when passing a stopped emergency vehicle.
The use of hand-held mobile devices while driving is banned in all provinces; the last holdout, New Brunswick, passed a ban that took effect in early 2011. Yukon is considering such a ban as well. Use of hands-free devices while driving is legal throughout Canada, although the Canadian Automobile Association is currently (January 2011) lobbying for such a ban.
Some provinces have blood alcohol limits of 0.05%. The national Criminal Code limit is 0.08% - a foreign national exceeding this can expect to be fined heavily and deported - See respect below.
During winter, a flashing blue light usually identifies a snow removal vehicle. Snow removal vehicles in the four western provinces use amber lights.
Beware: In British Columbia, a (slow) flashing green light means the traffic light is green (you can go) but it is controlled by the pedestrian. The light will remain flashing green until a pedestrian pushes the button to cross the street. When you see a flashing green light, traffic coming towards you will also see a flashing green light. In Ontario, Québec and Nova Scotia, a (fast) flashing green light indicates advanced turn, signaling the driver can make a left hand turn across oncoming traffic because oncoming traffic has a red light.
In British Columbia there are many roads, mainly in mountain passes, which require vehicles to be equipped with winter tires or carry chains from October 1 - April 30.
In Quebec, winter tire use is mandatory for all taxis and passenger vehicles from December 15 to March 15.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Canada
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Canada Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.