Info on driving in Canada

[Major Chord]

So, after searching the internet for about an hour, I have so far come up short on info regarding this question. My family always vacations in Ontario, Canada each summer. This year, as I have my New York State drivers' permit, my dad wants me behind the wheel some of the way, so he can get some sleep (my mom always occupies the passenger's seat, but doesn't like to drive for long distances, so he's the driver, usually). So, I'd like to know if it's legal for me to drive in Canada, in the same situation that I would be in NY (supervised by a parent). If no one has a definitive answer, might someone know of any sites on which I can find info about this?

 

[species5618]

I'm not up on the fine details, but I'm pretty sure my Ontario driver's license allows me to drive in the United States. However, I'm fully licensed (in Ontario there's a graduated system, until you're fully licensed there a number of restrictions with regards to passengers, what type of highways you're allowed to drive on, etc...) in my province, I'm not sure if the same would apply to New York drivers.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation page may help:

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/

 

[Kirk's_Tights]

Yes, you can drive in this province with your parents.

It might also depends on how you decide to travel up here. I don't think you would be allowed to drive on highways.

 

[Major Chord]

Thanks for the link species5618. Couldn't find anything pertaining to my problem though...although, I can get a killer deal on an Ontario vacation package for just $99.99!

Kirk's_Tights, the highway is primarily where my father wants me to drive. We'll be up there for a week, and primarily the only driving that we will be doing is on the highway there and back, along with some in-town travel (I believe the stretch of road that makes up the last leg of the journey, from the Kaladar area to Northbrook , is analogous to a county road, and not a highway.) Thanks for the info...glad to find this out before we're up there, and dad decides to take a nap...

 

[trekkiedane]

Oh, I see you drive on the left side of the road in Canada [/Marge]

No, I'm just drunk [/driver]

 

[firehawk12]

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/visiting.shtml

Doesn't mention the status of learner's permits though.

 

[Canadave]

Thanks for the link species5618. Couldn't find anything pertaining to my problem though...although, I can get a killer deal on an Ontario vacation package for just $99.99!

Kirk's_Tights, the highway is primarily where my father wants me to drive. We'll be up there for a week, and primarily the only driving that we will be doing is on the highway there and back, along with some in-town travel (I believe the stretch of road that makes up the last leg of the journey, from the Kaladar area to Northbrook , is analogous to a county road, and not a highway.) Thanks for the info...glad to find this out before we're up there, and dad decides to take a nap...

Well, the way the graduated system works here, the G2 (equivalent to a learner's permit, requires you to have an experienced driver in the front seat) prohibits you from driving on a 400 series highway without a registered driving instructor in the passenger seat. I would assume those rules also apply to drivers from out of state (and better safe than sorry, anyway).

You are, however, free to drive on other highways in the province: those with speed limits of 90 km\h or less, in other words. And generally speaking, it's almost always possible to find a route that parallels a 400 series highway, even if they're a little slower. Whereabouts in the province will you be travelling?

 

[Major Chord]

Thanks for the link species5618. Couldn't find anything pertaining to my problem though...although, I can get a killer deal on an Ontario vacation package for just $99.99!

Kirk's_Tights, the highway is primarily where my father wants me to drive. We'll be up there for a week, and primarily the only driving that we will be doing is on the highway there and back, along with some in-town travel (I believe the stretch of road that makes up the last leg of the journey, from the Kaladar area to Northbrook , is analogous to a county road, and not a highway.) Thanks for the info...glad to find this out before we're up there, and dad decides to take a nap...

Well, the way the graduated system works here, the G2 (equivalent to a learner's permit, requires you to have an experienced driver in the front seat) prohibits you from driving on a 400 series highway without a registered driving instructor in the passenger seat. I would assume those rules also apply to drivers from out of state (and better safe than sorry, anyway).

You are, however, free to drive on other highways in the province: those with speed limits of 90 km\h or less, in other words. And generally speaking, it's almost always possible to find a route that parallels a 400 series highway, even if they're a little slower. Whereabouts in the province will you be travelling?

I'll be going from Buffalo, NY, to this place in Northbrook. I'm not entirely sure of our route, but I think we normally drive on the 401...and some highway that bills you for the toll later, instead of booths along the way (this could very well be the 401...). We may also decide to travel trough Northern New York this year, and cross over at the Thousand Islands, instead of using the Peace Bridge.

 

[Canadave]

^ Gotcha. Sounds like the 401 to the 407 (that's the toll highway) across the north end of Toronto. You're actually heading towards my end of the province, right between Ottawa and my hometown, so I know it well. If you wanted to take a route that avoids the 400 series as much as possible, this is what I'd recommend. It'd add a bit of travel time, but after you reach the end of the 407, I'm pretty sure that you'd be okay to drive with a parent in the front seat.

 

[firehawk12]

Well, chances are it won't be a problem unless you get into trouble anyway. Until we start putting RFID chips into drivers licenses, it's not like the OPP or whomever can tell by watching someone drive that they have an improper license.

 

[Canadave]

^ True, but I'd rather not get pulled over and get slapped with a fine for driving illegally or some such. All depends on if you want to risk it or not, I guess.

 

[Scout101]

Don't forget to put your radar detector away when you cross the border, they hate those

 

[Omnius]

They love STOP signs in Ontario. That really surprised me, it's a big difference from the Netherlands. Oh and you're allowed to overtake a car from either left or right on the highway apparently.

 

[Canadave]

They love STOP signs in Ontario. That really surprised me, it's a big difference from the Netherlands. Oh and you're allowed to overtake a car from either left or right on the highway apparently.

Stop signs, alas, tend to be a North American thing in general.

And yeah, you're allowed, but if you blow by someone on the right, it makes you kind of an asshole. Sometimes there's good reason for it, but most people try to avoid it and abide by the unofficial rule of faster cars drive on the left.

 

[Major Chord]

They love STOP signs in Ontario. That really surprised me, it's a big difference from the Netherlands. Oh and you're allowed to overtake a car from either left or right on the highway apparently.

Stop signs, alas, tend to be a North American thing in general.

And yeah, you're allowed, but if you blow by someone on the right, it makes you kind of an asshole. Sometimes there's good reason for it, but most people try to avoid it and abide by the unofficial rule of faster cars drive on the left.

It's basically the same here in the states. It's not the road laws that bother me, nor road signs (if they do happen to be in French I speak it anyway, although that's only in Quebec, I think), just if/where I'm alowed to drive. One of the questions on my permit test actually asked what you're supposed to do at a STOP sign...

And thanks for the directions Canadave. We'll compare them to our normal route. Judging by the time Google Maps gives...it should shave at least an hour off of our trip.

 

[Canadave]

^ Heh, I actually had the same question when I did my G2 test. The best part? It was multiple choice.

Oh, and incidentally, I gave you what very much amounts to a route that only locals would take... there's one point that has you on a pretty rural road to connect to the 115 from the 407, in case you wind up taking it and worrying you're going to get lost in the woods.