Just got back from a trip out west, and I think I've got to re-rank the worst places to drive in North America: 1. Toronto & New York City (tied for worst) 2. Boston 3. Montreal 4. Yellowstone National Park 5. Memphis Yellowstone National Park... beautiful scenery, lots of wildlife, thousands of unique and amazing geothermal features (WOW - the backcountry geysers were well worth the hike), and the worst driving in the west. Holy cow. What makes it particularly bad is the fact that, without fail, almost EVERYONE on the road is a tourist. When people go on vacation, they tend to leave their brains at home. (Case and point: Hwy 400 on a long summer weekend.) In Yellowstone, there's large wildlife (elk, buffalo, bears) all over the place, so people stop in the middle of the highways to get photographs, usually without signalling or warning. Some roll along and take photographs while driving, :shock: and I had to drive onto the shoulder twice to avoid some oncoming nitwit who had both hands on his camera staring out the side window going 35 MPH. People saw things at the side of the road, slammed on the brakes and U-turned on blind curves. People went 25-30 MPH in 45 MPH zones, only speeding up in passing zones. Where there were multiple lanes (not often, most of the Park highways are one lane each way), people abruptly turned left or U-turned from the right lane without looking or right from the left lane. People were so in awe of the scenery, they'd drift over the centreline like drunken baboons. People waited until you were 15 feet from an intersection and then they'd pull out (Scarborough style) and drive 10-20 MPH under the speed limit. There were pullouts for slower traffic to pull in to (and signs to boot... "SLOWER TRAFFIC USE PULLOUTS"), but the slow drivers never used them, and in fact they'd often stop in the middle of the road about 200 feet PAST a pullout. :evil: No wonder Yellowstone has a dedicated tow & wrecking service. It wasn't just one particular place that was producing bad drivers, it was licence plates from all over that were driving badly. The only good drivers were the locals and the Park Rangers. On top of that, the roads often are winding mountain highways, weather changes quickly and dramatically, and the wildlife has a tendency to suddenly jump onto the roads. Beautiful place to visit. It's amazing. I'd recommend it to anyone. But pack your patience and reflexes and, most importantly, insurance when driving there. :shock: Also... interesting note... Montana has a practice of placing white crosses where highway fatalities occur. I-90 (the Montanabahn) between Bozeman and Livingston, 75 MPH limit (used to be no limit), zero crosses. Plenty of distance, good sightlines, I was going over 90 MPH and had no problems. US 191, a two-lane highway between West Yellowstone and Bozeman, noted at least 55 crosses in an 80 mile stretch. A stark reminder that two-lane undivided highways really are the most dangerous roads.
Just got back from a trip out west, and I think I've got to re-rank the worst places to drive in North America:
1. Toronto & New York City (tied for worst)
2. Boston
3. Montreal
4. Yellowstone National Park
5. Memphis
Yellowstone National Park... beautiful scenery, lots of wildlife, thousands of unique and amazing geothermal features (WOW - the backcountry geysers were well worth the hike), and the worst driving in the west. Holy cow. What makes it particularly bad is the fact that, without fail, almost EVERYONE on the road is a tourist. When people go on vacation, they tend to leave their brains at home. (Case and point: Hwy 400 on a long summer weekend.)
In Yellowstone, there's large wildlife (elk, buffalo, bears) all over the place, so people stop in the middle of the highways to get photographs, usually without signalling or warning. Some roll along and take photographs while driving, and I had to drive onto the shoulder twice to avoid some oncoming nitwit who had both hands on his camera staring out the side window going 35 MPH. People saw things at the side of the road, slammed on the brakes and U-turned on blind curves. People went 25-30 MPH in 45 MPH zones, only speeding up in passing zones. Where there were multiple lanes (not often, most of the Park highways are one lane each way), people abruptly turned left or U-turned from the right lane without looking or right from the left lane. People were so in awe of the scenery, they'd drift over the centreline like drunken baboons. People waited until you were 15 feet from an intersection and then they'd pull out (Scarborough style) and drive 10-20 MPH under the speed limit. There were pullouts for slower traffic to pull in to (and signs to boot... "SLOWER TRAFFIC USE PULLOUTS"), but the slow drivers never used them, and in fact they'd often stop in the middle of the road about 200 feet PAST a pullout. No wonder Yellowstone has a dedicated tow & wrecking service. It wasn't just one particular place that was producing bad drivers, it was licence plates from all over that were driving badly. The only good drivers were the locals and the Park Rangers.
On top of that, the roads often are winding mountain highways, weather changes quickly and dramatically, and the wildlife has a tendency to suddenly jump onto the roads.
Beautiful place to visit. It's amazing. I'd recommend it to anyone. But pack your patience and reflexes and, most importantly, insurance when driving there.
Also... interesting note... Montana has a practice of placing white crosses where highway fatalities occur. I-90 (the Montanabahn) between Bozeman and Livingston, 75 MPH limit (used to be no limit), zero crosses. Plenty of distance, good sightlines, I was going over 90 MPH and had no problems. US 191, a two-lane highway between West Yellowstone and Bozeman, noted at least 55 crosses in an 80 mile stretch. A stark reminder that two-lane undivided highways really are the most dangerous roads.
Sound like worse than Toronto. There at least you expect to be cut off when there is a space for a vehicle to squeeze through. In Yellowstone, it seems, anyone can perform any maneuver in a perfectly random fashion, which is actually harder to prepare for. BTW, I have always wanted to visit Yellowstone. I think now I'll leave my vehicle on the entry, while arming myself with a pump-action shotgun to shoot off any bear(s) I might encounter in the park though.
Sound like worse than Toronto. There at least you expect to be cut off when there is a space for a vehicle to squeeze through. In Yellowstone, it seems, anyone can perform any maneuver in a perfectly random fashion, which is actually harder to prepare for.
BTW, I have always wanted to visit Yellowstone. I think now I'll leave my vehicle on the entry, while arming myself with a pump-action shotgun to shoot off any bear(s) I might encounter in the park though.
"The more laws, the less justice" - Marcus Tullius Cicero
"The hardest thing to explain is the obvious"
It's well worth the trip! If you want to avoid the crowds and bad driving, best time to go is in late May. Most of the Park has re-opened for the summer by then, but the tourists are still few and far between. There's still some snow on the ground in parts but the daytime temperatures in May usually are around 20C. You could easily spend a week just in the Park and still have much more to see.
It's well worth the trip! If you want to avoid the crowds and bad driving, best time to go is in late May. Most of the Park has re-opened for the summer by then, but the tourists are still few and far between. There's still some snow on the ground in parts but the daytime temperatures in May usually are around 20C.
You could easily spend a week just in the Park and still have much more to see.
Hi so I have a bizzare situation. Today I received a summons for "being the owner of a motor vehicle bearing Vehicle Identification Number ###, failed to submit the vehicle, equipment or drawn vehicle for inspection or tests as required by an officer" for a vehicle I previously owned. Apparently a violation of HTA 82(9).
The date of offense is June 15, the summons was issued on October 26th and I…
Hi, I need some help for the ticket of lmproper left turn.
When i drove my car from east to west, intending to make a left turn and stop in front of stop line. There was a car in front of me, which has turn on yellow light. The light was turning red and then I thought I cannot leave in the intersection and turned, an incoming car was runing the light and hit me. No one got hurt but both cars had…
Have a ticket in which the radar used was a Genesis VP Directional. I had downloaded the manual for a Genesis VP but I now realize that the unit is not the same so it is the wrong manual. My trial is very soon so I do not have time to ask for disclosure of the manual.
Does anyone have access to an electronic version of the manual for Genesis VP Directional?
I was pulled over today in the city of Oakville for going 75 in a 40 zone. However, I am 100 percent certain that I was going only 50 in the 40 zone. When I was pulled over, I was driving my Dad's car which I felt was the reason I was getting stopped since two teenagers driving a 2013 S Class. He asked does I know why I am being pulled over and I…
I really need help on fighting my 9 tickets i received from one police officer. Here is some background of what happened!
I was caught speeding 66km on a 40km (school zone) on January 29, 2010. I was driving my friend's car and turns out she didnt renew the validation on the vehicle and didnt leave the up to date insurance paper on the car.
Hey question that I think here's probably the best place to get the answer:
I was charged with a careless driving offence in oct, trail in early april, so as of right now my insurance record is 100% clean... except the officer did file an accident report at the scene where I was classified at fault due to it being PI (although very minor). The person I hit did not sue etc, so the insurance company…
Very much unintentionally passed a stopped bus, with sign and flashing lights. Didn't realize I had done it until I was at the end of the bus. I'll save you my sob story, but it was truly accidental. I'm generally very cautious and have a perfect driving record. Never been stopped.
While I realize if a cop had seen me that I would have gotten a ticket, there were none in sight. Though I may very…
I was recently pulled over for running a red and I wasnt able to find my wallet in the car at the time to hand over my license. I had a passport in the vehicle that he used. The wallet was in the vehicle, it just fell through the seats. (Tough to find a black leather wallet in a black/black leather truck at night).
The officer still wrote the tickets for both he signed the one ticket (failure to…
I was passing a vehicle that was going slow for me and there was an oncoming vehicle coming at me. I speed up to get around the person I was passing and the oncoming vehicle turns out to be a cop who turns around and tickets me for going 110km in a 80km zone. How does it work with passing a vehicle? Once I passed the vehicle I went back down to my original speed of just under 100. The officer…
I picked up a brand new (old stock) Fuzzbuster a while ago at auction (wopping $5!!) and I want to mount it on the dash of my old GTO as a cool accessory when I show it at car shows. But I'm not sure if it's legal or not.
Here's my thoughts:
- It is early 70's technology (x-band) so it won't detect modern police radar. That's assuming no police force uses the old x-band frequency.
Hi guys, I'm still a little in shock of getting my first traffic ticket...
On Monday afternoon, I was returning from Toronto to Ottawa on HW416, I was driving about 15 over 100 like always. Then a car came very close to me on the left lane and made me nervous, I speed up unintentionally to pass the car and change lane, but while doing that a police car pull out of the median. He was hiding in…
May i ask this question regarding transport trucks limited to 105 km/h. Moving road blocks or safety?
IMO it isnt speed that kills. I find transport trucks infact help keep the road going. With cars that choose to not move to the right and slow down the middle lane the trucks would try to pass in their passing lane therefore the slower traffic would move right.
Received a notice from the police that a motion is being put forward to adjourn upcoming trial date. Notice indicates that an officer has sworn an affidavit that the crucial witness cannot attend date trial is set for (we know there is a social engagement at 7:30 pm for the witness, trial time is 1:30 pm). This further delay is a big problem to my daughter's case. She is moving away to…
This is what happened. I was travelling west on a four lane city street that was very light with traffic. I was making a left hand turn into a wide driveway of a business. There was traffic lights about 100 yards past the driveway and were red for the east-west traffic. I was in the left lane with my signal on and there was no oncoming traffic due to the red light. I was slowed right down…
I was driving my families older car and got pulled over, and the police officer informed me my plate was dirty. He issued me a ticket of $110 for the 13(2) act and obstruct plate as the offense. He informed me that such a plate could be used to avoid red lights as well as 407 tolls, also that buying a new plate can help to lower the ticket if I fight the charge, and that he also took a picture…
I received a red light camera ticket. In the picture, you see an ambulance in front of me with flashing lights. I had moved to alleviate the traffic behind me for the emergency vehicles coming behind it.
Is this a possible defense, if so, does anyone know any good case law to justify this position?
what happens if they charge someone for driving at 151Km/hr in montreal and they put for trial, appear after some months and sadly lost the trial ?
In montreal its $300 fine and 5demerit points ...
I heard Ontario and Qubec share the information. So once the trial is over ( and when the file moved to ontario) will his car gets towed and licence get suspended for 7days (later to 30 days ) ? and he…
I got a notice in the mail that trial is set four weeks from today, so it's time to request disclosure. I have zero chance of getting an 11b since trial is less than two months after the offense date and the officer did not reduce the charge. I really want to try and create delays on the trial, to reduce the chance of the officer showing up on multiple occasions. Is there any known loop-holes…
This weekend my father was involved in an accident with a transit bus in Burlington, ON. After the police showed up he was charged with "Fail to obey stop sign" Sec. 136(1)(a). At this particular intersection there NO stop signs but there are traffic lights. There is construction going on there so one of the light posts is smaller.
Driving conditions were terribly wet and visibility was low.…
So my boyfriend and I recently started dating. I have a vehicle that was insured. Insurance cost too much and I found it was just as easy to walk to work due to how close it was. But I didn't want to get rid of my car just yet, plus I'm still making payments on it as well. When we moved into our appartment together, I had it towed to my parking spot out back.
I was making a left hand legal turn on a green light, a driver came through the lane I was supposed to be going into ran the red and hit me head on as I was turning into my lane. When the officer came he was telling me that I was racing and driving recklessly because apparently there was reports of street racing in the area. I was not charged on the scene for this but I'm scared i am going to be…
I got a ticket for failure to surrender insurance because I did not have my new insurance stubs with me, just a bunch of expired ones. My policy number has not changed, so I asked the officer to just run the policy number so I could prove that I was in fact insured. He said they don't have that ability, handed me the ticket and reminded me that my car could have been impounded.
So I'm in a bit of a pickle and would appreciate if someone could clarify something for me.
I'm less than a month away (test on April 6th) from getting my full G license, and got a speeding ticket recently. The ticket was for 49km/h over the posted limit of 100km/h on the 403 in Oakville/Halton region, but was reduced from the initial ~60km/h over.
and I had to drive onto the shoulder twice to avoid some oncoming nitwit who had both hands on his camera staring out the side window going 35 MPH. People saw things at the side of the road, slammed on the brakes and U-turned on blind curves. People went 25-30 MPH in 45 MPH zones, only speeding up in passing zones. Where there were multiple lanes (not often, most of the Park highways are one lane each way), people abruptly turned left or U-turned from the right lane without looking or right from the left lane. People were so in awe of the scenery, they'd drift over the centreline like drunken baboons. People waited until you were 15 feet from an intersection and then they'd pull out (Scarborough style) and drive 10-20 MPH under the speed limit. There were pullouts for slower traffic to pull in to (and signs to boot... "SLOWER TRAFFIC USE PULLOUTS"), but the slow drivers never used them, and in fact they'd often stop in the middle of the road about 200 feet PAST a pullout. 
No wonder Yellowstone has a dedicated tow & wrecking service. It wasn't just one particular place that was producing bad drivers, it was licence plates from all over that were driving badly. The only good drivers were the locals and the Park Rangers.
