HawthorneVillager.com

Driving to the right is also the law. Doesn't matter if you are doing the speed limit, speeding, or going under the limit. You are suppose to drive in the right most lane.

What makes you think the speed limit law trumps the drive to the right law?

+1. I think Kevin is in the same league as I am in that we are always very alert, defensive, always thinking what that driver ahead or next to us might do that can cause a collision, not driving in peoples' blind spots, always looking in the mirrors to see where openings can be had to avoid slowdowns, and having space in case a nervous-looking motorist in a lane tries a sideswipe. Doing this sometimes require speeding up a bit, or slowing down. Bottom line, what we do is take advantage where lane openings can be found, make good use of road space where available, and overtake where possible without being threatening. I honestly think the comment on the 8200 rpm redline is just an exaggeration. I certainly don't like to over-rev the car if I don't have to in order to save gas and make it easy on the drivetrain, and rarely do I floor the pedal.

Kevin and I actually are very nice people. Let's not use the word aggressive since it's a threatening term. I prefer to say we are very astute on the road, and like a wily veteran hockey defenseman, can read the situation and act fast to defend ourselves from a collision or a slowdown. We are not jerks as motorists nor as people, and we don't claim to be the best drivers in Milton. In fact, the following are no-nos to people of our driving ilk:

1. Making people brake hard or slam on their brakes as a result of a lane change or a turn. When negotiating turns and lane changes, the key thing to ensure is executing with smoothness and minimal disruption of flow. When Kevin and I drive, we also generously let people merge in where possible and space-permitting.

2. Speed to the end of a lane to cut in with no signal when coming onto a volumous highway. It's better to coast ahead slowly, signal, and lean into the lane a little to assess the generosity of a motorist as opposed to forcing oneself in. People with luxury cars who do this are much more hated. If one driver doesn't let you in, the next one, or third one usually will. Always give a wave of kind thanks, and also, always try to take what you dish out (i.e. if someone leans in on us, we let them in if we can).

3. Make a scene and stand on our horns if we're upset. Not worth it. A cut-off or something dumb that took place, if a collision wasn't caused, won't matter in 5 minutes. This goes for other little annoyances in life.

4. Testing the acceleration and cornering ability of a car in a residential area or an area with schools. I don't ever speed in a residential area in case a kid jumps out or a car backs out without looking (which is often around here, sadly)

5. Tailgating or terrorizing other drivers (better to pass, or if impossible, keep a distance until another opening can be found)

6. Running reds.

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What is the difference between ignorance and apathy? I don't know and I don't care.

^^^

Well said.

Very frustrating to see someone hit the brakes just because someone in front of them hits the brakes. Someone above posted about "driving in a bubble" --> Hit the nail right on the head with that one. Watch the flow of traffic ahead... very frequently drivers brake unnecessarily, and you dont realize when you do this, but you cause a huge chain reaction with drivers behind you and create an unnecessary slowdown.

It's always best to watch how traffic is moving ahead (10-30 cars) to ascertain whether it is necessary to accelerate/decelerate.

Police WILL pull you over. However, they SHOULD pull you over for not driving with the flow of traffic in the left lane, sadly, that is one of the many laws that are NOT ENFORCED but should be.

Cops...they speed too...you should ask one of the ones on my hockey team after they have had a couple of brown pops and drive home.

yes that's sarcasm folks!!!! sorry!!

and ya i love the nuts that rush up on you when your going with the flow at 110, 120...and they get annoyed your only going 120...one night i was in the left lane (sorry) giong 120 (sorry) but the hwy was empty...this guy came flying on me and high beams me...we were all alone...at first i thought it was a cop...and i just laughed and wondered why he didn't just drive around me when he saw me in the lane...i would've have move myself but he just came up all of a sudden...and he was freaking out when he passed me...then i saw him at the lights and JSP but he seemed to be calmer when i was stopped beside him...hmmm??

Perfect example right there... empty highway, yet we're driving in the left (passing lane) when the law states we have to drive in the right-most lane. You get tickets for driving like that in places like Germany, where speed limits are higher (or non existant) and accident rates are lower (kind of against the whole speeding causes accidents that I hear everyone talk about). Some blame speeders, I blame ignorant or disrespectful drivers in Ontario.

+1 to Sandeep&Tina

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bibo ergo sum

Just because a law isn't enforced doesn't mean its not a law. If your neighbor's never been pulled over for drinking and driving, does that make it legal? Give me a break.

I agree speeding is wrong. So is hogging the left lane for no reason.

There really is no point in continuing this discussion. Bad drivers shall remain bad drivers.

EDIT: Read this buddy.
http://www.drivers.com/article/149/

Sandeep you missed my point...ok so i was in the left lane on the empty hwy right...maybe I had passed someone along the way and just settled in that lane...my whole point was the nut travelling 150 and wanting me to move for him...i certainly would have not wanting to cause an accident but i think he could of easily moved over if he noticed me first which I'm sure he did...and would I cop pull me over for driving in the passing/left lane?? NOPE...maybe cause i was going 120 but not because of the lane. I work in Mississauga and travel back and forth at all times of the day and night with lanes 1,2,3 and even the shoulders from the ramps full of cars. I guess by you everyone in the city is or has been an ignorant and disrespectful driver...it must drive you nuts living in Milton and being the only courteous driver around. By the way i love Milton and do not mean to offend any of my fellow Miltonians...

What a waste of time posting on a subject like this. There's always someone who thinks they are right regardless of what the law says and by posting a link to the actual law you get accused of being stupid. Go figure.

When I learned to drive (which was probably before some posters here were even born) I was taught to never do anything that caused another driver to take evasive action. This means driving with the flow (regardless of what speed that may be, if you're not comfortable, move right or take another road!), keep right unless passing (this allows for different speeds in each lane, slower to the right, faster to the left, get it), no un-signalled turns or lane changes (let other drivers know your intentions), sharing the road, allowing merges, you know, the kind of driving that promotes good efficient flow of traffic which is clearly not practiced anywhere in the GTA! Oh, I was also taught to never expect the drivers around you to do the right thing, in other words drive defensively. Expect the idiot in front of you to stop without reason, the guy beside you to change into the lane you’re in, the car coming from the side street to not stop...

Why driving in the GTA has degraded to the mess we now have boils down to a number of things in my mind:

First, it is way too easy to get a licence and far too easy to keep it once you have it (people think it is their right to drive when in fact it is a privilege!).

Second, our major roads/highways are too crowded; they should have been widened years ago (but of course it is politically incorrect to suggest building roads these days when public transit is supposed to be the answer to all of our travel needs, yea right).

Finally, the traffic laws are not effectively enforced (emphasis on effectively!).

I couldn't have said it better (though I am not as old )

Well said!

Actually 8200 rpm is my car's rev limiter, which I do tend to shift before, but I have no quams about bringing my car up to 8000 rpm. It's built for it. I maintain it well. I put synthetic oil in it. It's quite capable of those kind of rpms.

Everything else you wrote is bang on though