Really ?

[Chicken lights]

I was thinking of the USA but probably both.

I'd have to look up statistics then, just based on experience I would've said the USA was safer than Canada. I would think the chance of a serious accident is much higher in Canada now

 

[YotaBota]

I recently bought a RYOBI chainsaw and the chain adjuster blew up. I called "RYOBI CANADA" this morning to register a warranty claim only to be told the office was closed for the "Thanksgiving Holiday". I wonder if RYOBI is closed for Canadian thanksgiving as well.
Nuff said.

 

[Tecnico]

We found Naples to be pretty bad. All the motorcyclists seem to be trying to get to their destination before the backpack explodes. They think nothing of driving straight into oncoming traffic. Yet we didn't see a single accident.

Italy is a great place to live!

While living in Italy we visited Napoli. With the reputation for theft etc. we left our car home and took a rental. No dramas but I don’t recall seeing one car with straight sheet metal…..

There was a little story going around about a couple on their honeymoon in Napoli. They were worried about having their car broken into for the radio, it was common at the time to have quick release slide ins for that very reason (you’d see people walking in the park with radio in hand).

They took the radio to the hotel and left a note on the dash “no radio”. Next morning; no car but the note was under a rock with a message added “don’t worry about the radio we can get one”.

I was lucky I only had someone break off a pair of scissors in the lock and I had an alarm!

Now scooter drivers, that’s a topic for another day…….

D 😎

 

[Tecnico]

(Bear in mind that we in the UK drive on the left and the steering wheel is on the right.)

How do you spot a tourist in the UK? They’re the ones going around the roundabout the “wrong” way!

No experience, jussayin’

D 😎

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Dave,

I've had exactly that experience, going round a roundabout the wrong way. I blamed it on being tired from the ferry crossing and the 400 mile drive home. Fortunately it was only in a supermarket car park exit and no one was coming in.

 

[Doggggboy]

Italy is a great place to live!

While living in Italy we visited Napoli. With the reputation for theft etc. we left our car home and took a rental. No dramas but I don’t recall seeing one car with straight sheet metal…..

There was a little story going around about a couple on their honeymoon in Napoli. They were worried about having their car broken into for the radio, it was common at the time to have quick release slide ins for that very reason (you’d see people walking in the park with radio in hand).

They took the radio to the hotel and left a note on the dash “no radio”. Next morning; no car but the note was under a rock with a message added “don’t worry about the radio we can get one”.

I was lucky I only had someone break off a pair of scissors in the lock and I had an alarm!

Now scooter drivers, that’s a topic for another day…….

D 😎

Our favourite part of being in Italy for a month was Sicily. Absolutely loved it. We would have moved to Palermo the minute we got there. Siracusa would have been a close second. Just something about that place.

 

[BaronJ]

Our favourite part of being in Italy for a month was Sicily. Absolutely loved it. We would have moved to Palermo the minute we got there. Siracusa would have been a close second. Just something about that place.

Did you go and visit where they filmed part of the Godfather ? Its along drive up that hill to Forza d’Agrò and visiting the Bar Vitelli.

 

[Doggggboy]

Did you go and visit where they filmed part of the Godfather ? Its along drive up that hill to Forza d’Agrò and visiting the Bar Vitelli.

I can't remember for sure but we did go to the Teatro Massimo in Palermo which was used for the operatic climax in Godfather III.
The Valley of the Temples in Agrigento was another highlight.
We did a tour with a guide in Palermo one day. She drove to the local market and parked on the street and plugged the meter. Then she gave some money to old man sitting in a chair on the curb by the meters and said that was to pay him to not call somebody over to steal the car. Just an everyday thing apparently.

 

[Tecnico]

Hi Dave,

I've had exactly that experience, going round a roundabout the wrong way. I blamed it on being tired from the ferry crossing and the 400 mile drive home. Fortunately it was only in a supermarket car park exit and no one was coming in.

I became aware of it when the blue lights started flashing, lol! They asked me when I was going home (next day) and told me to be careful in the meantime. 😀

D 😎

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Guys,

After spending 3 months driving around Europe, you get conditioned to driving on the wrong side of the road. It takes a little time to reset !

 

[Susquatch]

I'd have to look up statistics then, just based on experience I would've said the USA was safer than Canada. I would think the chance of a serious accident is much higher in Canada now

You are correct Dave. It has always been that way. It was one of the key points I used to make in my course on US vs Canada for my American colleagues. Nothing has changed in recent years. In fact the difference is actually growing.

Between 2011 and 2021, Canadian fatalities declined by 18%, while U.S. fatalities increased by 33%. In 2021, Canada's rate was 4.7 deaths per 100,000 people, compared to 12.2 in the U.S.. Factors contributing to Canada's lower rate include stronger impaired driving and speed enforcement laws.

There are places in Canada that go against the trend though. Remote locations tend to have higher fatality rates because of higher rates of drinking and driving, and fewer people using their seatbelts.

In general, Canadians are more likely to comply with the law. But things are changing.....

 

[DPittman]

You are correct Dave. It has always been that way. It was one of the key points I used to make in my course on US vs Canada for my American colleagues. Nothing has changed in recent years. In fact the difference is actually growing.

Between 2011 and 2021, Canadian fatalities declined by 18%, while U.S. fatalities increased by 33%. In 2021, Canada's rate was 4.7 deaths per 100,000 people, compared to 12.2 in the U.S.. Factors contributing to Canada's lower rate include stronger impaired driving and speed enforcement laws.

There are places in Canada that go against the trend though. Remote locations tend to have higher fatality rates because of higher rates of drinking and driving, and fewer people using their seatbelts.

In general, Canadians are more likely to comply with the law. But things are changing.....

I think @Chicken lights was saying the opposite?

 

[Chicken lights]

I think @Chicken lights was saying the opposite?

I was. I did a cursory google search and the statistics I saw were based on mortality rate per 100,000 people, as @Susquatch referenced

I got busy and didn't have time to dig into it further yesterday.

Going from memory, they changed an intersection in town from lights to a traffic circle. Accidents went up 75% but the city was happier because it was slower speeds and overall damage was down.

I'm saying I see more accidents in Canada. But I also count one vehicle in the ditch as an accident. Or two cars trading paint.

I'm not sure why mortality rate dictates ranking safety ratings? In Canada police no longer lay careless or dangerous driving charges for accidents, so is that also not a factor? Wouldn't you want to have repercussions for poor driving?

 

[Chicken lights]

In general, Canadians are more likely to comply with the law. But things are changing.....

It's tough to stereotype a whole country.

If I'm being fair, both Canadians and USA drivers suck at following driving laws, in general. The difference is the USA has a larger LEO presence to hopefully deter/prevent infractions.

The "law" doesn't dictate safe driving practises, that's why I say, from what I've seen, the USA is safer to drive in. The crap I see in Canada doesn't happen in the USA (as much)

 

[Susquatch]

The "law" doesn't dictate safe driving practises, that's why I say, from what I've seen, the USA is safer to drive in. The crap I see in Canada doesn't happen in the USA (as much)

The stats clearly say your observations are wrong both in terms of fatalities per capita, accidents per capita, and per mile driven. Maybe Americans are more likely to hit and run? I dunno. The insurance institute keeps these stats and even publish the numbers against sex, age, etc.

Another stat for you. Driving and drugs don't mix. Testosterone kills. Next you feel like yelling at a female driver, try thanking her instead.

I don't know how freeways differ in our two countries. But generally speaking, freeways are safer than rural roads. Perhaps your frequent use of freeways skews your observations?

 

[Susquatch]

I think @Chicken lights was saying the opposite?

So he was.

I'm not sure why mortality rate dictates ranking safety ratings? In Canada police no longer lay careless or dangerous driving charges for accidents, so is that also not a factor? Wouldn't you want to have repercussions for poor driving?

Doesn't matter. The numbers for paint damage and non injury accidents are also worse in the USA.

 

[Chicken lights]

The stats clearly say your observations are wrong both in terms of fatalities per capita, accidents per capita, and per mile driven

I can't argue against stats, but I can count on my own observations to form an opinion. Keep in mind if you removed Cali Florida and Massachusetts from the USA overall score card for driving safety, things would change. Just like for crime statistics, if you remove Baltimore, Chicago, Atlanta, St Loiuis and Detroit, all of a sudden the USA does better for crime stats.

I don't know how freeways differ in our two countries. But generally speaking, freeways are safer than rural roads. Perhaps your frequent use of freeways skews your observations?

Canada does not have freeways. Ontario has some 4 series highways, which are abysmal. Quebec has some four lane roads, like the 30 and 20 and 40, which are terrible. The rest of the country has the Trans-Can, which barely qualifies as a highway.

I run a lot of two lane in the USA, and do not see anywhere near the number of accidents that I see on similar roads in Canada.

If you look up Hwy 2, starting in St Ignace MI, you can run that out past Shelby Montana, I have never once seen an accident on that highway like we see on Hwy 11 or 17 in Ontario, and 11/17 have accidents daily

 

[Downwindtracker2]

The Lower Mainland of BC has had a freeway since '61. Since LML is very densely populated, the rest of the province is pretty rural .

I've driven I-5 down and up , the best drivers are in Oregon , next is Washington but even Californian drivers are less ignorant than BC drivers.

In Namibia, we paid car watchers, think of it like pay parking.

 

[jorogi]

In Namibia, we paid car watchers, think of it like pay parking.

In Mexico we had plane watchers. I got out to deal with beurocracy and co-jo arranged security and then buggered off. I went to retrieve my stuff. Pancho is sitting in a lawn chair in the shade of the tail, sombrero pulled down, quite relaxed. At fifty feet the shotgun starts to swing slowly in my direction, a few more steps and it lines up, I stop to identify myself, shotgun starts to come up. I decided that new beachwear would be kinda fun.

 

[JustaDB]

Wouldn't you want to have repercussions for poor driving?

Sheeee-it. Half the vehicles on the road en route to work, at work & back from work qualify for poor driving. And a large segment of those are so-called "professional" drivers.