this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2026
24 points (100.0% liked)

Ottawa

1325 readers
46 users here now

News, events, discussions, and what not from Ottawa, Ontario.

Municipal website: https://ottawa.ca/


Rules

  1. Be polite and respectful.
  2. Please only post content relevant to the City of Ottawa or to its residents.

Ottawa on the Fediverse:

Ottawa chatrooms:

Please note the following:

* All chatrooms are linked together. If you join one room your messages will be copied to the other platforms.

* Matrix is an open source and potentially distributed chat protocol. The matrix room listed is hosted on matrix.org, a somewhat centralized hub for a lot of currently public rooms. Though the protocol itself is free, libre and open source, the deployment of the protocol resembles a centralized service. This may be fixed in the future with the deployment of independent servers.

* Be aware that both Telegram and Discord are centralized proprietary platforms and do not necessarily protect your rights nor privacy while simultaneously giving power to corporations.

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
 

The Ottawa Police Service is reminding drivers that telling an officer “I thought I was doing 150” will not overturn a stunt driving charge on Highway 417.

The police Road Safety and District Traffic Unit said an officer observed a driver going 164 km/h on Highway 417 at Carp Road on Monday.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

In North America, there’s almost no vehicle safety standards, road standards are questionable, and the licensing process is a joke.

So instead of addressing the problems, and logically allowing a high rate of travel given the distances and populations involved, many jurisdictions have created this concept that any speed over a certain number is automatically stunting.

Obviously doing 150kph through a residential area is a problem, but there’s so much empty road!

That said, North Americans need to build trains. Better ones. And better neighborhoods.

[–] Anarki_@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

150 Km/h is really fucking fast, dude.

[–] ArmchairAce1944@lemmy.ca 2 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Even I dont drive that fast on long ass highways. I do drive over 100 (everyone does) but never that high. 165km would scare me.

[–] human3500@ottawa.place 5 points 19 hours ago

@ArmchairAce1944
Having driven on the Autobahn and like roads in Europe, it is scary. At first.

Provided you're in a car that can handle that speed (e.g. Not an SUV or pickup, but something with tight steering and proper brakes), you get used to it over a bit of time. Start at 130 and bump it up sad you get comfortable.

There are lots of rules. No smoking, driving coffee or anything that takes your hands off the wheel or your eyes of the road. Stay out of the fast Lane unless passing. You need a copilot to adjust the AC and radio if you have it on.

It wouldn't work at all in North America with our vehicles and drivers.
@Anarki_

[–] Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

LOL, 100 years of car and oil lobbying money has entered the chat.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 3 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

Trucking actually, it produces a lot more jobs than rail.

[–] CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Is that the part where I said that licensing needs to be more restrictive (ie fewer drivers) or the part where I said vehicles need to be inspected (higher cost, fewer drivers) or the part where I said North America needs to build better rail networks (lower demand for roads)?

[–] Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca 4 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

The better rail networks is what I was commenting about.

[–] CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 22 hours ago

Oh I think I misunderstood your intent completely!

[–] Jumbie@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 day ago

Damn. 93 miles per hour isn’t even that fast.

High number scare puny man.

[–] Sturgist@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

and the licensing process is a joke.

Idk, I grew up in Vancouver, and live in the UK... from talking to people who are in the process of/just got their license, my licensing experience was in most ways a lot more stringent and thorough. And I've had my license for over a decade.
They're just talking about changing it so that people have to wait 6 months before doing their road test after passing the theory test. There's also only one step.
I had a learners license after passing the theory, then a road test to get my new driver license, then ANOTHER road test to get my full license.
People here can do their theory test, book for the next available road test, which fair enough could be several to 6 months in the future, and then be fully licensed. They can optionally stick a giant P magnet on the front and back of the vehicle to warn others that they have just passed in the last month...but it's not mandatory.

Edit: the only thing on the test here that I think should be implemented in Canada is being required to lift the hood(bonnet🎩) and point out the dipstick, oil fill spout, washer fluid fill spout, and then how to access the spare tire.

[–] CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Ah, but you don’t have unrestricted autobahn in UK do you?

Sounds like it’s also a joke from your description. The process has been a default rite of passage for young people since the ‘50s, but traffic and our tolerance for safety has changed a little bit since then.

[–] Sturgist@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.....no

National speed limit is 70mph, so not far off Canada's 110.

Edit: it was by no means an easy go, I had taken my first road test twice, first time they failed me for not braking hard enough at a stop sign. Marked as rolling stop for the reason for failing.

Edit 2: having put on my reading comprehension hat, I now understand that you were talking about the UK licensing. 🤦 Been a long day. And yeah, absolute shambles. A fair number of people seem to be really incensed over the proposed wait between theory and road test...