DRIVING IN CANADA FAQ'S
Is Driving in Canada left or right? Canadians drive on the right hand side of the road and pass on the left. When on a double-lane highway, the same rules apply with slower traffic sticking to the right-hand lane and faster traffic passing on the left. US licenses are valid in Canada. When operating a car in Canada, you’ll need to have your license, auto insurance, and registration in the vehicle at all times. The minimum age limit to drive in Canada is 16, although you must be at least 20 years old to rent a car. Drivers under the age of 25 will have to pay a young drivers fee.
Travel Advice and Advisories give you official Government of Canada information and advice on situations that may affect your safety and well-being when you are traveling or living outside Canada. They may include an advisory for a country or region where security or health conditions have changed.
What are the major road types in Canada?Local roads:
These roads provide access to private property. They are usually found in either the suburbs or the rural parts of Canada. They are known for having low traffic speed and for requiring at least one sidewalk.
Collector roads:
These are made to connect traffic to larger arteries. Collector roads are usually signaled at intersections with arterial roads and require sidewalks on both sides of the road.
Minor arterial roads:
Minor arterial roads are mainly designed to facilitate the movement of traffic. They also sometimes provide access to certain types of property. There are no stop signs on these roads, but they do have traffic lights at intersections. They also require sidewalks on both sides of the road.
Major arterial roads:
These are mainly designed for traffic movement but they’re also subject to access controls, which means you’ll have to wait before entering the flow. Usually, these have sidewalks on both sides of the road.
Highways:
These are the same as American highways. They don’t provide property access and are off-limits to pedestrians and cyclists.
Canadian provinces are similar to US states in that each one has a few driving laws that are unique to their own province. For example, the legal driving age in Canada varies between provinces. This can be a headache for tourists who are looking to drive across Canada without having to memorize a bunch of different laws for each one. However, there are only a few laws that are specific to each province that you’ll need to watch out if you’re a US citizen driving in Canada.
British Columbia
British Columbia has a couple of laws that are a little oddball, but they are enforced nonetheless. When going downhill, it’s illegal to put your vehicle in neutral. While some drivers do this in order to save a little bit of gas mileage, it is outlawed in British Columbia. The Motor Vehicle Act states that when you are traveling downgrade, you can’t coast with the vehicle gears in neutral or the clutch disengaged.
Another interesting law in British Columbia imposes a $167 fine on anyone who blocks the left lane. The law states that if you’re in the left lane and another vehicle approaches in that lane, you must exit the lane if it’s safe to do so. Drivers who violate this law are subject not only to the fine but also up to three demerit points.
Montreal
On the island of Montreal, you are not allowed to turn right when the light is red, while this is legal in other provinces such as Quebec, Montreal specifically outlaws this. There are some intersections in other provinces that disallow a right on red, but a sign prohibiting it will mark these.
Ontario
In Ontario, any driver who is overspeeding at 50 km/h above the speed limit may have their car confiscated, towed, and impounded for up to 7 days. While most people may not ever speed at quite an extreme rate, it can be tricky near highway construction zones where the speed limit temporarily dips. Be cautious and abide by the posted speed limit or you may find yourself without a car.
Alberta
Alberta is known to have many inconspicuous photo radar units that are constantly monitoring speed on the highway. Very often a police unit will be monitoring from car parked on the side of the highway, but they also monitor speed while driving. Because radar detectors are illegal in a lot of provinces, you should avoid speeding to keep from getting an expensive ticket.
Quebec
Quebec has one quirky little law that will add two demerit points to your driving record if you’re found violating it. Under Quebec’s laws and regulations, you are not allowed to break suddenly without any cause. While this may seem like an unnecessary law, it’s important to drive as steadily as possible to avoid getting ticketed.
