Any society that has gone from oxcarts to SUVs in less than a generation is going to have serious problems on the road.
Having lived and worked in several developing countries where this was true, I can vouch for the fact that drivers there are far from being better drivers than those in more developed nations.
Some people might presume that many new Canadians are unsafe and accident-prone drivers, dealing as they do with unfamiliar roads and customs, along with extreme weather conditions.
Recent immigrants to Ontario compared their involvement as drivers in serious road crashes compared to long-time residents of the province, matching each subject by age, gender, living location and economic status.
Immigrant drivers — the highest proportions from China and India — are 40 to 50 per cent likely than long-term residents to be driving a vehicle involved in a bad smash-up.
Contrary to popular opinion, recent immigrants are less prone to be drivers in a serious crash.
So we’re not looking at violations of driving etiquette.
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Thank you ….We’re looking at serious crashes that end you up in the emergency department and hospitalized.
The roads are chaotic and many drivers have never bothered to sit a driver’s test because it’s simply easier just to pay a bribe and receive your license without the hassle of learning all those strange rules that no one follows anyway.
Overtaking cars as you approach the crest of a hill, for example, is fine because everyone does it and all you need to do is flash your lights to let the other driver know to get out of your way!
Most drivers may all drive defensively but there are enough that don’t that it’s always wild on the roads.
This brings us to one the key reasons drivers in developing countries are invariably worse that in more developed nations: the Rule of Law.
In developing countries, law enforcement is largely arbitrary and if you are well-connected, then you have right-on-way no matter what the normal conventions might be in other countries.
Do you want to add a word or two?
Because you drive an SUV with darkened windscreens, no one can be sure if you aren’t a Party Bigwig (even if you’re not) so invariably they do get out of your way even if you are driving on their side of the road.
Similarly, if you’re driven a big rig and been driving for three days without stopping, people will try to get out of your way because they don’t want to get killed.
Depending on which city you immigrate to in Canada based on your daily routine, getting a driver’s license and maybe even a car may be a high priority for you.
Unless you are living in Vancouver, Montreal, or Toronto (Canada’s most walkable cities) then you made need to learn what it takes to get a driver’s license as a newcomer.
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Car Insurance
Having car insurance when driving in Canada is mandatory.
If you regularly drive a car that belongs to a relative or friend, you should make sure you’re listed on their car insurance plan.
You can get different types of car insurance plans, including coverage for either or both:
Injuries to yourself and damage to your car or
The costs of damages and injury to others if you’re at fault in an accident
Your car insurance cost depends on the plan you choose and your:
Age
Driving record
Living location
Driving experience
The cost also varies between insurance companies. For this reason, you should:
Make sure you understand what each plan covers
Contact a few companies for details about the price of their insurance plans
Getting a Driver’s License in Canada
The steps you need to follow to obtain a driver’s license in Canada depend on which province or territory you are settling in.
Accidents are horrific and frequent in places where chances of adequate hospital treatment are usually slight. But hey, it’s just the way life is played and it’s all down to fate anyway. In developing countries, life is cheap.
A lot of the world drives a manual car. There are a plethora of reasons to learn asides from being able to hop in a rental car. It’s sort of like learning to tie a tie.
Every person should know how to drive a stick. It also gives greater control over the vehicle and it’s just plain fun.
Access to transportation can be essential in that it will make access to education and employment far easier. Immigrants face particular problems in this respect on two levels.
Firstly, your driver’s license may not be recognized in your new country, which means there may be costs associated with becoming qualified.
Secondly, that language barrier can, again, make understanding or even finding useful local public transit services a hard task.
To work in the trucker industry up in the North, you need to know the required criteria for your occupation.
Below are the requirements for truck drivers in Canada:
You should have completed secondary school.
You can expect to have on-the-job training.
You should have completed a driving course of three months from a designated school or college. You may require a Class 3 or D license for a straight-body truck.
You may require a Class 1 or A license for longer combination vehicles. You may need an air brake endorsement, allowing the driver to operate vehicles with air brakes.
You may be required to present a Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) certification if you transport hazardous, dangerous goods.
Any additional licensing may be required, depending on the type of truck.
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