Canada Watch your speed in Canada

LDB · Oct 9, 2007

Highway 401 in Ontario, Canada runs from Windsor all the way across to the Quebec border and on to Montreal. Since the 1970s, the speed limit has been 100 km/h (about 62 mph), but actual average speeds along long stretches in the rural southwestern part of the province are often considerably higher, leading to the nickname Ontariobahn.

To combat late night street racing and excessive speeds everywhere, a new extreme driving law went into effect a week ago. The maximum fine for violating the law has now been bumped from $1,000 to $10,000 along with an instant seven-day license suspension and seven-day impound of the vehicle. What can earn you such a punishment? Any number of offenses from racing or even showing the intent to race to simply exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 50 km/h (30 mph).

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
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ihamner · Oct 9, 2007

Wow! Thanks for this post/warning! They are serious about speed limits. Another thing we recently heard while we were in that area is they have a law stating that a commercial driver's hands must BOTH be seen on the steering wheel at all times. If they spot you with one hand on the steering wheel and your other hand is on the radio controls or a phone or anything they WILL ticket you!

India Hamner
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cheri1122 · Oct 9, 2007

And you say this ludicrous law applies only to commercial drivers?!

AnneM · Oct 9, 2007

Wonder why that would only apply to commercial drivers? Everyone should have their hands on the wheel and pay attention to what they are doing and what is going on around them. Nothing ticks me off more than some idiot on the phone, swerving, driving WAY under the speed limit etc. Those are the people who deserve the ticket and more times than not, it's a 4 wheeler not a truck!

ihamner · Oct 9, 2007

Remember, though, I got my info from another driver on the CB so it may not be accurate. All the other drivers were complaining about not having a free hand to do whatever???? Ha!

India Hamner
[font color="purple"] FEDEX [/font][font color="blue"]Custom Critical[/font]
D Unit
Every day should be an adventure, not a treadmill.

buckeyewildman · Oct 9, 2007

Anne AMEN AMEN AMEN AMEN
IF YOUR ON THE PHONE USE A HANDS FREE SET AS FAR AS THE SPEED LIMIT GOES IF YOU OBEY IT YOU DON,T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A TICKET OR ANYTHING ELSE DO I BREAK THE LAW SURE ALL OF US DO BUT VERY SELDOM WILL YOU SEE ME GO MORE THEN 4-5 MPH OVER OR UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT MAYBE THATS WHY I HAV,ENT GOT A SPEEDING TICKET INABOUT 15 YRS.
NOW I WON,T SAY THAT ON OCCAISION I HAVE NOT ACCEEDED MY OWN RULES MAYBE ON OCCAISION WHEN I HAD A LOAD THAT WAS RUNNING LATE BUT THAT WAS FEW AND FAR BETWEEN THERE ARE MANY TIMES WHEN I SEE OTHER DRIVERS ESPECCIALLY VANS GO FLYING PAST ME I AM THINKING THEY MUST BE IN A HURRY IN ABOUT 50-100 MILES HERE THEY COME AGAIN AND AGAIN I HAVE RUN INTO THESE SAME DRIVERS AT TRUCK STOPS AS WELL AS CUSTOMERS AND WHAT DO THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT FUEL MILEAGE LOOK AT YOUR DRIVING I AHVE FOUND GET ON THE ROAD AND GO AT A DECENT RATE OF SPEED AND KEEP GOING YOU WILL GET THERE JUST AS QUICK AND FOR THOSE WHO SAY WELL I HAVE TO DRIVE FAST OR I WILL BE LATE I BELIEVE MISS ANNE WILL VOUCH FOR ME IN 3 YEARS WITH BOLT EXPRESS I THINK I COULD COUNT ON 2 FINGERS HOW MANY TIMES I WAS LATE ON A LOAD OK I AM DONE RANTING AND RAVING BUT IDIOT DRIVERS ARE A SORE SPOT WITH ME AM I PERFECT H@#$ NO BUT THEN WHO IS

terryandrene · Oct 9, 2007

I'm having trouble with that two hands on the wheel thing. Must comm'l trucks all be automatic trans or would you start out in 13th gear? How would you turn on headlights at dusk? There's gotta be more to that story if there's any truth to it.

Jefferson3000 · Oct 9, 2007

Hehe..The wife and I were leaving JC Penney the other night, when a car on the street we were turning onto swerved and almost hit us. She seemed completely clueless of our presence. Upon closer inspection, we found a cell phone in the left hand and a cigarette in the right. No wonder she couldn't hang onto the wheel.

Drive Safe!

Jeff

Driver for 15 years
O/O for 13 years
OOIDA #829119

[em]"Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed." --Mark Twain[/em]

pelicn · Oct 9, 2007

I always feel like I'm going to get run over on the 401

Suds43 · Oct 9, 2007

One more reason not to go into Canada.......No thanks.

But, I have to reply to Ann........it's not only the 4-wheelers on the phone, etc. driving all over the place, poking along....I've seen many big trucks doing exactly the samething.

greg334 · Oct 9, 2007

RE: Watch your Canada in speed

I find it hard to do 70mph anyway so I Just stick the cruise on 65mph and hope I don't get run over in the right lane by those crazy Canadian truckers doing 90mph.

Moot · Oct 10, 2007

RE: Watch your Canada in speed

Guess I won't be picking my nose in Canada anymore!

RobA · Oct 10, 2007

I don't know whether to sigh, curse or find some Florida swampland to sell.
First of all; the law originally mentioned is to combat
STREET RACING
The cops are after the streetracers; the idiots on motorcycles doing 200 KPH+(125MPH) plus. These guys today seem to have no respect or consideration and drive recklessly in traffic conditions.
Do you people fit that profile?
If you do; what are you doing behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle?

Commercial drivers must have two hands on the wheel at all times?
News to me........not a bad idea though.

Dear Ms India Hammer; I guess you haven't been around trucks and trucking very long. The "another driver said" source is not often too accurate on many things.
(this is where I will sigh)

>Wow! Thanks for this post/warning! They are serious about
>speed limits. Another thing we recently heard while we were
>in that area is they have a law stating that a commercial
>driver's hands must BOTH be seen on the steering wheel at
>all times. If they spot you with one hand on the steering
>wheel and your other hand is on the radio controls or a
>phone or anything they WILL ticket you!
>
>

RobA · Oct 10, 2007

RE: Watch your Canada in speed

>Guess I won't be picking my nose in Canada anymore!

Moot...that should be illegal.
LOL

cheri1122 · Oct 10, 2007

Not a bad idea? It's a ludicrous idea! As Terry pointed out, how can one shift gears? Or use the various controls for heat/ac. lights, wipers/washers, etc?

cheri1122 · Oct 10, 2007

Even more important: how could parents reach around to smack the rowdy kids in the back seat? That's an important part of a parent's arsenal!

RobA · Oct 10, 2007

Ten and Two (was) - RE: Watch your speed in Canada

What is so ludicrous about driving with two hands on the wheel, Cheri?
You remove your right hand when you need to shift gears or adjust a control; but the rest of the time (the majority of the time) you should drive with two hands on the steering wheel.

There is NO specific law stating that "commercial drivers" must be seen with both hands on the wheel.
THAT is the ludicrous idea in this whole thread.

I'm not a lawyer and I haven't read the entire RSO (Registered Statutes of Ontario) but I very much doubt that there are ANY laws for "commercial drivers". Our drivers license regulations are broken down by vehicle weight and type of brakes.

I'm often amazed by the ideas about Canada that get posted here.

> Not a bad idea? It's a ludicrous idea! As Terry pointed
>out, how can one shift gears? Or use the various controls
>for heat/ac. lights, wipers/washers, etc?
>

cheri1122 · Oct 10, 2007

RE: Ten and Two (was) - RE: Watch your speed in Ca

That it could be an offense to remove one hand from the wheel, is what I found ludicrous, and my original question was whether the ludicrous law only applied to commercial drivers. That it was in Canada was irrelevant, as we get some pretty goofy laws passed here, too.

LDB · Oct 10, 2007

RE: Ten and Two (was) - RE: Watch your speed in Ca

I didn't mean to ruffle feathers anywhere. I've never driven the mentioned road. I just found this information on my newsreader and figured folks should know if you are over a certain amount the penalty could be huge.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
OOIDA Life Member 677319, JOIN NOW
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
EO Forum Moderator
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