This has happened to me a few times already within the last few months and I just don’t know how I’m supposed to react to it. When it is raining or snowing, I tend to keep a safer distance with the car in front of me. That is to allow myself more time to tap the breaks and stop the car without risking it to slide. But there are some people that see the small gap as an invitation to jam in front of me. Yes, in the end I obviously allow them to pass in front, but it doesn’t mean that I’m happy about it.

I just don’t understand why they think it is an invitation. I’m trying to be a safe driver here and they are just making the situation worse by increasing the possibility of a hazard. It just makes everyone else around more in danger if an accident occurs. I get mad, but there is nothing I can do about it and I need to concentrate on the road.

@Life Of Pix / Pexels

What do you want to see in a good driving culture?

I think that in Canadian driving culture, most people drive very politely. I know that many people are willing to stop their cars for pedestrians even if in some cases, it is not at the intersection. I think many people have kept the culture of giving a hand gesture as appreciation and respect to the other drivers whether it is to cross lanes or when two cars stop at the same time at a four-way-stop.

I used to go to Hong Kong and visit my relatives in the summer, and I get quite scared when I’m taking transit on the road. That is because the driving culture there is so different than Canada. I noticed that cars stop right behind each other with less than a fist length in between. It’s nothing like Canada where I stop with a good distance from the car in front of me. Another major difference is that in Hong Kong, the steering wheel is on the right side of the vehicle and traffic is on the left-hand side of the road. In Canada, our steering wheel is on the left side of the vehicle, and we drive on the right-hand side of the road. All the traffic keeps to the right.

@nika kakalashvili / Pexels

No matter if we are driving to the left and right, I think that having a good driving culture and sticking to the keys to defensive driving is what we all need to be mindful of.

Do you think Canada’s driving culture is becoming better or worse?