Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!dptcdc!ncrcan!brian
From: brian@ncrcan.Toronto.NCR.COM (Brian Onn)
Newsgroups: ont.general
Subject: Re: Highway Driving Rules
Message-ID: <1342@ncrcan.Toronto.NCR.COM>
Date: 7 Apr 89 10:12:27 GMT
References: <8904061731.AA21685@ellesmere.csri.toronto.edu>
Reply-To: brian@ncrcan.Toronto.NCR.COM (Brian Onn)
Distribution: ont
Organization: NCR Canada Ltd., Mississauga, Ontario
Lines: 85

In article <8904061731.AA21685@ellesmere.csri.toronto.edu> malton@csri.toronto.edu (Andrew Malton) writes:
>Are the `lane discipline' rules for driving on multi-lane highways
>a matter of law in Ontario, or of recommended driving habits only? By
>`lane discipline' I mean the rules including but not necessarily limited to:
>
>1) overtake only on the left;
>2) use the left-most lane for active passing only;

Aren't 1) and 2) here pretty much the same? I mean, if you're overtaking
on the left your obviously passing on the left.
In either case, I think the "left lane is passing lane" is a law w.r.t two
lane highways, but not multi-lane highways.

>3) move right when approached from behind (even when not in the
>   left-most lane);

I always do this, lest I get hit.  There are some pretty aggressive drivers
on the road, and I *always* move right when some jerk is approaching from
behind at 4 times the speed limit.  I just like to give them more room to
kill themselves.

>4) yield or claim right-of-way at merge (actually I know this is in the
>   HTA: the traffic flow and the merge flow have equal responsibility to
>   ensure even merging);

Ok.. If I am merging into traffic, I tend to get aggressive and like to
time my entry with a moving space.  If I am in traffic that someone is trying
to merge into, I will often move one lane away from the point of merge, 
giving the other guy a hole to merge into.  It also prevents someone from
merging right into me.

>5) limit speed on ramps (I believe the orange `ramp speed NN' signs are
>   warning only; some ramps have white legal speed-limits instead,
>   as on the 400 at Gravenhurst);

Yep.. the orange signs are warnings of a safe speed, usually with a wide
margin.  With todays cars you can often exceed the posted yellow speeds
by 10  to 15 kilometers an hour, and still feel safe.  If you like the
feeling of centrifigul force, you can try it a little faster still :-)
My understanding is that the legal limit is still the last white sign you
saw.

>6) flash high-beams to communicate with other drivers (as in
>   `You should move out of my way', or `I am going to pass you now' or

Gawd... I *hate* drivers who do this.  Makes me feel like they think they
own the road.  I *do not* think this is in the HTA.  I certainly hope not.

>   `You are welcome to move in ahead of me now');

This is better.  And I often practice it.  Again, probably not law.

>7) signal lane changes.

I think this is in the HTA, because you can get a ticket for "failing
to signal" and the ticket stubs usually make reference to some section of
the HTA.

>These questions came up during an over-coffee-in-the-lounge discussion.
>Anybody know answers for sure?

Well, not really for sure, but they are my opinions.

>(In Great Britain (1) and (2) are matters of law. In Europe (3) is a
>de facto necessity. I've found in European highway driving that 1-3 are
>observed universally anyway; in Ontario it's commonplace to be overtaken
>on both sides at once (I drive in the middle lane where possible).)
>
>I think (7) is a trick question. Does the HTA *ever* require signals?

Yes... there are some sections of the HTA where signal placement, size 
(and brightness?, I don't remember) are explicitly specified.  I would
think that to go into this great a detail about the physical properties
of the signals, and then not to mention their use would be silly.

>Andrew Malton

Brian.


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