Nanaimo Has the Worst Drivers in Canada

[livingssky]

Very much agree. Same in Saskatchewan as in AB. I'd expected the same in Nanaimo, because this is relatively a small community. Well, a liitle disappointed, maybe sometime later I'll join the majority on road...

My peeve is the drivers who blow through legal pedestrian crossings, blatantly ignoring waiting pedestrians. This particularly irks me on rainy days when all I want to do is cross the street from the parking lot to my office... This seems to be more common here then anywhere else I have lived. In Calgary, most drivers stop for pedestrians at any intersection, even if it doesn't have a painted pedestrian crossing.

[fitz]

This particularly irks me on rainy days when all I want to do is cross the street from the parking lot to my office...

Not on Albert St. by chance? I've seen people almost get hit there a couple times. I guess it's partly people coming down the hill at speed, and partly drivers wondering if a crackhead is really crossing the road, or just stumbling randomly (not you!). The intersection at the bottom of that hill is a nightmare too, nobody has a clue what's going on with one right of way, three stop signs, no turn signals and of course, the icing, is the stumbling crackheads once again.

[shifty]

Not on Albert St. by chance? I've seen people almost get hit there a couple times. I guess it's partly people coming down the hill at speed, and partly drivers wondering if a crackhead is really crossing the road, or just stumbling randomly (not you!). The intersection at the bottom of that hill is a nightmare too, nobody has a clue what's going on with one right of way, three stop signs, no turn signals and of course, the icing, is the stumbling crackheads once again.

The intersection at the foot of Albert Street is indeed a poor planning decision - for drivers and pedestrians. I don't understand why it isn't just a four-way stop. The one I'm thinking about is the one on Wallace Street at Wentworth. As a pedestrian, you get blasted from both streets. Drivers either don't stop as they blast through along Wallace, or think that the stop sign at the top of the hill on Wentworth doesn't apply to them and run right through the crosswalk.

[Ellam]

Have you never been to Calgary or even worse Edmonton? What you describe are daily occurances there. Try pulling those stunts in the middle of a snowstorm.

[Apathy]

The person who started this thread must have been in every town or city in Canada to make that comment about Nanaimo having the worst drivers...

[sheena]

I don't think that Nanaimo has the worst drivers. We have however, seen a defininte rise in population in the last five or more years. That of course raises the amount of cars on our roads which sometimes become very congested at times- but no where what you see in the lower mainland or other major cities . I have noticed that we have a lot more aggresive drivers in the last few years, a lot more people going way beyond the posted speed limits. Nanaimo and actually Vancouver Island in general is a more laid back, relaxed place to be so everyone should enjoy that fact and hopefully it will reflect on their driving habits . Leave the lead foot and the aggresive mannerisms behind and everyone will be happy. One good thing to do today -- if you see a pedestiran at a crosswalk - don't ignore - stop give the person a big smile and let them cross the street.

[fitz]

Yesterday I almost missed a pedestrian and came to a stop just before the crosswalk, where the pedestrian and I exchanged smiles and "you first, no you first, no please, after you, no, after you"

[Ellam]

"Almost missed"? So in other words there is some body damaged repair to be done...............

[Apathy]

lol fitz that happens to me all the time with other drivers at four way stop signs, I often wonder if we both went at the same time out of being courteous.. might cause an accident.

[yokoke]

I think you are going to have those bad drivers in any area, some days just stand out more than others lol

I will take a day of Nanaimo drivers over the loop around Indianapolis where citizens think its Nascar 24/7

Chicago, bumper to bumper mayhem, some so close on you, you can count the freckles on their faces in rear view mirror...

Montana, open freeway unlimited speeds during day.... merely a suggestion on which is allowed, but 105 mph?? And that was the Buicks.... older more elderly people.... just amazing....

The bad thing is too, sometimes it takes several accidents at one location before changes are made either to get caution signs up, lights, lower speeds... but def a rise in the aggressive driving... see it everywhere.... been seeing alot more areas of development stateside where shopping communities are all walk and no roads.... get back to that day of yesteryear of slowed down times and front porches...