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Advices for Car Trips through Canada
50. The amount of speeding fines in Canada is directly proportional to the level of excess. For example, exceeding the speed limit by 20 km/h will result in a fine of approximately 95 dollars, and if the maximum permitted speed is exceeded by 30 km/h, the fine will be approximately $200.
51. There are strict speed limits for roads, located close to schools (40 km/h), for narrow roads that are located between private homes (30 km/h). Parents who leave their children in an unattended vehicle will also have to deal with heavy fines.
52. Roads of Montreal are considered to be one of the worst roads in the country. The quality of road surface is low comparing with many other regions of the country, but the level of the load remains high. Moreover, the roads of Montreal are almost continuously renovated.
53. The police will never stop drivers simply to make the identity check. If a driver is pursued by a police car with flashing lights turned on, this means the driver has broken one of the local rules. If this happens, stop the car and, sitting inside the car, answer all the questions of the police.
54. It should be noted that the procedure of obtaining a driving license in Canada is quite complicated. It implies a thorough academic training, which must be done by the applicant on his/her own. All drivers in Canada are well-aware of all the peculiarities of local traffic regulations. Therefore, they are very disciplined on the road.
55. If a driving license is cancelled for some serious breach, a driver will have to re-pass all the exams in order to obtain it once again. Because of this strict system there are not many drivers in Canada who want to break traffic regulations.
56. In addition the maximum allowed speed, highways usually have the minimum allowed speed. As a rule, there are double boards installed at such roads. These boars indicate the speeds with the appropriate «Maximum» and «Minimum» marks.
Renting a Car in Canada - Recommendations
If you need a car with an automatic transmission, it is recommended to book it in advance. Cars with automatic transmissions are often sparse in Canada, so the rental confirmation may take a longer period.
When selecting a specific model for traveling throughout Canada, we recommend to take into consideration some practical apects. If you are going to drive mostly in the cities, then a car of a small size is preferable, while for long distance trips (and trips in the mountains) we recommend to choose a larger and more powerful car.
Prior your car retrun, please clean the salon from a garbage, and do not forget to take away all your belongings from the passenger compartment.
At the car return time, please ask the officer to make a visual inspection of the vehicle for defects and to sign the acceptance report. Keep the invoice and the acceptance report for next few months.
For a car rental options in Canada, we advise you to check OrangeSmile.com actual offers in the orange search form at the top. We guarantee that you would not be able to find better rates anywhere else!
58. In many Canadian cities foreign tourists will be surprised to see very original road markings. For example, zebra crossing that is so familiar to many drivers can be made in the form of a huge striped sign, painted in bright colors and include other original artistic elements. Road markings in Montreal are considered among the most beautiful in the country. These markings were developed by a well-known contemporary artist Peter Gibson.
59. Many experienced drivers can notice that the majority of road signs have rather an advisory than a mandatory meaning. They are designed to keep drivers alerted, so that they remain attentive and ready to unexpected situations while driving, giving a much needed consideration to other participants of traffic.
60. One may see large banners along the roads that are located between settlements. These banners indicate the distance to the closest hotels, patrol stations, cafes, tourist attractions, shopping centers and other facilities that might interest travelers.
61. Intersections with circular motion are a real rarity in Canada. They are simply considered ineffective here. On the other hand, «All-stop» type crossroads can be found literally everywhere in the country. The way of driving at such crossroads is described above.
62. It is really easy to get oriented on local roads because all of them have a unique number. Roads laid from north to south are marked with even numbers, and roads laid from west to east are marked with odd numbers. In addition to the number of the route, road signs always indicate the direction of motion, so it is almost impossible to get lost there.
63. Highways are very rare in Western Canada. The speed limit on the majority of roads is 80 km/h. The absence of a large number of paid roads is, without a doubt, the main advantage of the roads in this region.
64. Many roads have special lanes marked as «HOV». These lanes are only for the cars that have at least one passenger in addition to the driver. Because of this reason, it is more convenient to travel on the local roads in a large company. Many drivers intentionally take fellow travelers with them (of course, friends, and not people who hitch on the road).
65. The center and side lines of country roads often have special marks. If a car’s wheel runs into this mark, the car starts vibrating and makes a very loud sound. Such precautions have been taken in order to help drivers ride in the right lane in poor visibility conditions. The markings are also helpful in alerting drivers who may fall asleep while driving.
66. Drivers should be particularly careful and accurate when passing areas with road works. As a rule, violations of traffic regulations on such roads are punished more severely, and fines are two times higher comparing to standard ones. The presence of additional fines, the beginning and the end of danger zones is indicated by special signs.
67. All local petrol stations are distinguished by very good equipment. Drivers can safely expect petrol stations even in the most remote areas to have machines with hot water, a store and a toilet, as well as a number of free items useful for drivers (for example, paper towels and brushes with soap and water.)
69. There is no universal rule in Canada in respect of attaching registration numbers to the car. Thus, in the province of Ontario car numbers must be present on both sides of a vehicle, while in Quebec drivers can attach only one number at the back of a car. The front registration number is often replaced with plates advertising the car’s dealer or with various funny inscriptions.
70. Starting from the beginning of November until the middle of April, parking along certain roads may be prohibited. The reason for this limitation is in the fact that in winter roads are cleaned from snow every day.
71. In some provinces, an incredibly large amount of snow falls during winter. In some areas, there is so much snow that it is impossible to see hydrants on the sides of roads. In this case auxiliary road signs will be really handy. The hydrant, depicted on such signs, indicates the place where one should “dig” in order to find the device.
72. In winter, snowmobiles are considered full participants of traffic. It should be noted that at certain parts of roads snowmobiles are allowed to ride even on sidewalks.
73. Cabot Trail is considered one of the most beautiful roads in the country. The road is laid in an incredibly beautiful mountain region. Its winding pattern is one of the most distinctive features of the road. From the bird's eye view the road looks like a snake winding between mountains. Drivers should ride on this road at a low speed in order to overcome all the turns successfully and have enough time to enjoy the fabulously beautiful scenery.
74. Travellers, who are keen on beautiful mountain landscapes, will surely love the Powder Highway. This road is laid in the valley between mountains covered with pine trees. The highway features truly fascinating view.
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