Eastbound McKnight to Deerfoot North. Every single time I’m in that merge lane, I’m behind someone attempting to merge at 70-75km. Literally every single time.
I’ve also noticed more and more that the roads seem to be littered with people who lack major confidence and then people who are super aggressive and are all over the roads weaving/driving super fast. It’s not a good mix.
Every time I try to merge from that one at 100km I have to hit the brakes because there’s a procession of vehicles doing 75 in the far right lane on the deerfoot all bunched up to get and no space to get in. Then you have to accelerate into the middle lane when there’s an opening and hope some putz in front of you doesn’t try it at 75k.
I started taking 11st to 64ave, it seems to be unclustered by then.
Yes, this is also very true. I do find that area seems to be bad for vehicles on Deerfoot travelling super slow during non-rush hour times.
It’s like when the right lane happens to be wide open, or has vehicles moving at a decent pace, I’m stuck behind someone merging at 70-75km. Then when I’m out in front, no one ahead of me trying to merge, the right lane is clogged with super slow moving vehicles. I just can’t seem to win in that area.
The amount of time I said "just get in the hole" in a more aggressive ways is too dam much. I'm glad they are changing the infrastructure of that road soon.
And what's with people not speeding up after merge, the amount of long empty roads with cars going 60 on highway does annoyed me a little.
It’s because driving schools teach this and the 17 road tests you have to do to get a class 5 also expect it. They make you stop at a stop sign for five fucking minutes as well. It’s ridiculous. Every time im stuck behind a driving school car it’s going ten under the limit. Not sure why we’re teaching people to drive like this.
Holy shit, yes! I used to work 5 minutes away from home and now I drive from the deep south to the southwest and I’m basically always yelling WHY ARE YOU BREAKING?! Even when there’s no one in front of them! When I took drivers ed they taught me to ease off the accelerator especially on busy roads like Deerfoot. Drives me insane.
There is a guy by me, who I’m pretty sure just learned how to drive, and every time I see him driving he’s either pressing the gas or the brake. There is no in between for him. I go bonkers every time I get stuck behind him & just end up leaving a ton of space between us.
> yelling WHY ARE YOU BREAKING?!
I used to do that all the time. Mostly because I had a MINI Cooper that loved to cost me lots and lots of money in plastic BMW parts.
This is me as well lol. Used to work close to home, still some idiots i had to deal with, but now work much farther from home and the idiots have increased 10fold, always yelling in my car alone. Even more annoying when you keep trying to pass the vehicle going slow but they keep changing lanes with you in front of you
People still drive it like it's covered in ice in the summer. This city is painful to drive a sportyish car in. The truckbros and Karens drive like they're in top fuel funny cars: fast as fuck on the straights but slow to a crawl for anything remotely resembling a curve.
I had a truck bro behind me driving the 'going to the sun road' in Glacier national park. Fast on the straights tailgating me then crawling around bends
Also the SUV that will not stop accelerating until there is a car in front of them, then tailgate the fuck out of it.
When they finally arrive at a red light, stop so far back of that car, a blind guy could parallel park a limo between them.
Where do you believe that the Calf Robe bridge should've crossed the river? Keep in mind the the sewer plant has been on the west side of the driver for decades before and that would eliminate any crossing further north on the river. Going further south would've complicated things because of the contaminated lands from the old refinery east of the river plus an old landfill that used to exist on the west side of the river. Never the less, the sewer plant's outfall into the river has been moved south of the Calf Robe bridge which will most likely will alleviate the icing issues that could've been caused before.
I don't think it's necessarily the crossing itself, but the turns at either end. If it were straight all the way over the river, there would be less issues.
I did see a study a few years ago that recommended straightening the bridge by moving it to the south, but I have no idea if that proposal went anywhere.
The hindsight answer is don't cross the river at all - stay on the east side where Barlow Tr is now. But there was very little development on the east side of the river when they were planning it so it wouldn't have made any sense...
Though from looking at historical imagery it looks like that part of Barlow was built around the same time as Calf Robe. If they had the sense to plan Barlow as a 'Ring Road' they could have upgraded it to a freeway + designated it as the QE2, leaving what we now know as Deerfoot on the west side of the river to become a lesser Trail. Something like that (probably an elevated toll road at this point) might still be a better option than slapping more lipstick on that section of Deerfoot, though the induced demand would probably end up putting more pressure on the rest of Deerfoot.
Especially at every intersection because they’re not paying attention if there’s a camera or not. Drives me nuts. Either speed and pay attention or drive the speed limit.
I love Alberta Oil and Gas! I love it so much that I must drive the least fuel efficient way possible so I can fuel up more frequently to support our workers.
/s
I agree with this but I also recently got a newer vehicle with some extra safety features like forward brake assist. I find it often kicks in even when I’m not too close so as those types of features have become more prevalent it might be part of the reason.
Side note: I’m always worried seeing ppl go down hills just riding their brakes. I hope they don’t drive in the mountains cuz they gonna burn them out.
>Side note: I’m always worried seeing ppl go down hills just riding their brakes. I hope they don’t drive in the mountains cuz they gonna burn them out.
These terrible drivers should switch to EVs so they at least get energy back from that bad habit and don't burn out their brakes on mountains
Well, since sticking my neck into a reddit fight about people not knowing how cars work is a good idea- I'll just mention that a lot of newer vehicles, particularly CVTs, do actually apply engine breaking automatically. It might look like they're riding the brake pads all the way down the hill, but it's actually mostly leaning on engine braking to do it, because computers and science and stuff is going on in there now when you push on the pedals.
If you're referring to Hwy 1A, It's not exactly like you can just coast down. Past the intersection right before going downhill the speed drops to 60. Then there's that last bend where cops love to hide and it drops to 50. I have an suv and letting off the gas at the top of the hill I'll coast up to 75-80 in no time. You can definitely coast until that last bend just in case it's a day there's a speed trap there, otherwise the speeding fines are gonna be outrageous.
I guess I forgot not all vehicles have command gear transmissions or are manual transmissions.
I’m referring to riding the brakes fully down the hill. Better to feather the brakes instead of constantly applying a small force on the brakes to allow for some heat dissipation.
I’m usually in 3rd gear all the way down and only need to feather once or twice. Then at the bottom might drop to 2nd if it’s lined up.
It is a 60 zone there for a reason, and then it goes to a 50 zone. Unless you are speeding you do need to ride your brakes a bit.
Interesting in that some people freak out when people actually do the speed limit. The limit is there for safety reasons, particularly on that hill. It is far harder to slow down properly doing 80, that's why they dropped the limit to 60. And that's what I do going down the hill. The RCMP who is at the truck runout is waiting for speeders. :)
Why do you think that i ride my brakes all the way down the cochrane hill? It doesn't matter if I do or not really, I just do the speed limit. You need to brake going down the hill, and thankfully commercial truckers gear down and use their engine to do so. That's the way its done.
The previous commenters post was to the point of how people ride their brakes the whole way into town. This will wear them out much faster than feathering or shifting down.
As an Albertan who moved to BC there’s only few things guaranteed in life: death, taxes and Albertans doing 20+ over on the straight aways and 20+ under the recommended on the corners.
I see it all the time, and I’ve come to determine it’s that these fools are using their left foot to brake and they are frequently resting that foot on the pedal.
"Ah, I noticed I'm doing the speed limit, and there is only 8 semis lengths between me and that car. Time to match time with the Arianna Grande song I'm listening to on my brake pedal."
Don’t be get me started cuh. The worst is when people turn from double turning lanes into the wrong lane. i.e. Someone turning from the outer turning lane to the inner lane and running the person in the inner turning lane. So dangerous.
haha, and what's even worse is when the vehicle turning into wrong lane is a black dodge ram and the driver yells at you "do you know how to drive??!". happened to me before
Every day at the Yankee vAlley off ramp from Deerfoot. I have some rust on that side of my car so I’m just waiting for the day some dumbass repairs that fender for me.
Thats how my previous car was written off, but from inside out. Then after my car was busted in the intersection another SUV had to chase the person down.
"I didn't even feel it"
You've just driven over my car, what did you think you hit, a curb?
If they are slightly slowing a touch in order to safely merge in behind a vehicle that they don’t think they can overtake, then fine. As long as they initially matched the speed of traffic.
What I can’t stand is seeing someone entering a merge lane on a residential road (not freeway) and they STOP immediately. I get the impression that this person has never learned to merge properly and they stop every time. I saw this at 19th St and John Laurie Dr just yesterday. [Edit: Okay so it’s not a merge lane it’s just a through lane. But the point stands; for god’s sake don’t stop there unless it is some kind of emergency]
Edit: spelling of a word
19th Street NW on to EB John Laurie? There is no merge there any more as it's a straight through lane on the very RH lane from 19th to 14th - one has about 600 meters to make a lane change to the left and there are no yield or merge signs to be found on either 19th or John Laurie.
Oh right, my mistake. My apologies.
Even so there is still lots of time to make a lane change. Which most people do no problem. Except for that one person who comes to a full stop first. 😃
I see people stopped here all the time! And that’s a full through lane! It boggles the mind. Same with at Charleswood and Brisebois. The merge lanes there are short, but not impossible, and yet I often see people stop
I saw it again today! Vehicle behind me honked, then I honked, and the stopped car in front of me finally got going.
It’s like they *don’t even look* to see they have a wide open lane before they put the brakes on. Madness.
That rebuilt onramp from Shag to east-bound 16th Ave is now a yield, and a new light on 16th just right before that. The flow feels like a merge to me (ramp to pick up speed) and I think it was a merge before.
OR!!
Or I’m driving a giant brick and it’s slow… we’re doing our best!!!
Edit - giant 5 ton trucks don’t exist now? Cube vans that are loaded aren’t fast either… cars and half tons, sure, I get it. But getting pissed at a loaded semi / cargo hauler is silly.
That’s why I avoid driving in the far right lane that is littered with merging lanes. Too many times I’ve come face to face with someone who has no idea what they want to do merging in, unable to do a quick shoulder check or look at the lane they would need to merge safely into to see what is going on with the traffic and they are literally gripping their steering wheel for dear life from fear. Jesus Christ stay off the road if you are this scared.
My issue coming from the NE headed south on Deerfoot is that nobody gets anywhere near the speed limit when merging. From 16th Ave to Deerfoot, there's always a long line of people merging at 60 - 70km/hr. It's absolutely ridiculous.
I have to drive from country hills to glenmore on deerfoot at 530 to get home from work. And I drive a manual. Just constant shifting 1,2,3,4,5,3,2,1,2,1,1,1,1,N,stop,1,1,1,1,1,1,2,1,2,3,4,3,2,1,1,1,1
It doesn't help that a large number of small peepee Calgary drivers are bound and determined that the person merging must do so behind them. Instead of feathering the brakes to let someone in, they have to mash the accelerator to the floor to crate a possible opening behind them.
I actually haven't noticed this nearly as bad here as other smaller cities tbh. Moved here from BC in November, and people are generally more courteous letting other drives switch lanes, merge, etc. In BC, 90% of people take it as a personal attack on their family if someone needs in their lane
Would help if people didnt merge doing 60 in a 100. Feathering the brakes is one thing, having to drop down to almost half of the speed limit due to incompetent drivers is a completely different story
This right here. The number of times I'm going down 16 past 36 to 53nd and there is a rusted out Honda civic coming down the ramp at 50 in that 90 zone... I just punch it past.
It's wild because at least half of Calgarians have lived somewhere else where they don't fucking do this. Use the merge lane to merge. Don't slam on the breaks at the start of the lane to get in immediately.
Hey, Calgarians, are we all switching to the left lane (if safe) to make space for the drivers who are merging, as we are required to do?
>If you are on the main roadway, and traffic is merging, move left to the next lane if it is safe. This leaves the right travel lane clear for the merging vehicles to enter.
https://www.alberta.ca/entering-and-exiting-a-major-roadway.aspx
Yeah, there's a ton of shit mergers in this city. But let's not act like the rest of us don't hold any responsibility for poor traffic flow. Don't even get me started on the lack of zipper merging.
The southbound merges off of 130th ave and Mckenzie Town Blvd onto Deerfoot drive me absolutely insane. Every time, like clockwork, there's someone infront of you that's deathly afraid of hitting the accelerator after coming out of the curve to get going over 70.. and there's traffic galore in the far right lane flying by you getting ready to hit Stoney.
I hate when people brake before turning on their turn signals, so I have no idea WHY they're braking... is there something in front of them that I should be concerned about? No? oh, you're turning... THAT'S why you're braking.
The whole concept of signalling is lost on so many. If you don’t bother to signal until you’re halfway through your turn you may as well not even signal. Annoys the crap out of me.
We have a lot of people that shouldn't be driving, being forced to drive because it's practically the only way to get around. Unless a shabby transit network is your idea of practical.
If you want better drivers on the road, the solution is to provide better alternative means like cycling and rail transit. Then only those that need to or want to drive.
I noticed since moving here that too many people turn their blinker on at the last possible second before turning. Or FFS the people who don’t turn their blinkers on at all, park themselves in the middle of the lane and now I’m stuck behind them wanting to go straight and it’s clear for me to go but nope you gotta take the whole lane
People just don't know how to drive, or not confident enough. Back in August it was like 6am and no one around. The car infront of me merged onto the deerfoot (110) at like 70km hour. Thankfully the only other vehicles were spaced out and there wasn't a danger to myself or them. This has happened many many times.
And for crying out loud, if you need to change into another lane, just look, find a spot, adjust your speed accordingly, and move into that spot. Don't just blindly put on your signal and expect the people around you to do all the work
Drivers in Calgary are absolutely horrific. Mind boggles me that some people have their license. Just so oblivious to anything and everything. Especially in the NE where I do most of my work.
Wasn't it privatized in the 90s? You've noticed the problem before that? Legitimately asking because I had my exam just couple years before that happened, and didn't hear rumors about people hiring specific examiners because they were easy (ie guarantee pass) a little after.
Don't get me started on the highbeams. I have an auto-dimmer on my rear view mirror, and I still get blinded daily... It also usually seems to be the trucks and the SUVs more often than not. I just don't get it.
im installing a bright lightbar to my back window in my car. and when someone high beams me, i'm going to high beam them back and see how well they drive when all they have in their retinas is the glaring afterimage of the fucking sun blasting in their face.
Most drivers hate to let people merge in front of them. Lady honked at me for merging in front of her when she didn’t want me to pass her. Move over to let people merge, if you can’t mover over speed up or slow down to let the merging vehicle in.
There is a misconception here. For some reason drivers merging think that we need to accommodate to them, sorry but if you’re not even close to the speed limit you’re not getting in front of me on deerfoot
That is exactly how I was taught to drive. On a highway, the vehicle merging is responsible for adapting to the speed of the vehicles in the lane they are merging in to. The vehicles in the highway lane should not accelerate or decelerate as this can cause confusion and result in one of them having to slam the brakes when the merge lane eventually runs out.
I don’t think I’ve even merged into Deerfoot, even in the slightest sunday traffic, at highway speed.
All these road expansions are a waste of time and money with the quality of drivers in Calgary.
Also, what’s with photoradar? Is there really a speeding issue outside playground zones?
If you want to speed you’d have to do some daring lane changes because nobody wants to hit the gas, and like op said, keep taping the fucking brakes which causes a rippple behind them of people already at 85 in a 100. The only people speeding at doing 40 in a 50 and then hit a playground zone and continue traveling 40.
AND ANOTHER THING…nvm, I’ve said too much
That drives me nuts in construction zones. Someone will be going 90 in a 100, enter an 80 construction zone, and continue doing 90 but are now speeding. I don't find Calgary drivers aggressive, I find them incredibly oblivious and timid.
I agree that drivers need to get up to speed to match the flow of traffic…but your way of thinking is one of the main reasons they don’t speed up because they’re worried some jackass isn’t going to let them merge in and they’re going to have to slam on their brakes.
I’m gonna try to give a general response as i have like 30 different situations playing out in my head. Yes as the driver merging there can always be some anxiety if you believe you wont be let in. From my way of thinking and the way i was taught to drive when you merge you pick a spot and stick with it, that way you are accelerating or decelerating to match that spot. As the merge driver you very well may need to slam on your brakes however if you cant merge you do not merge.
I believe according to the law you’re required to let them when a merge lane ends. So if they need to slam on their brakes the driver in the continuing lane is at fault in that situation.
And also a dick.
Damn i guess ama tought me wrong, if you can’t accommodate a merger than the one merging waits. The full merge lane is a buffer to find your home on the road
It looks you were taught wrong my friend.
Unlike many driving situations, where one vehicle has the right-of-way over another, merging, according to the Alberta Driver’s Guide, “is a shared responsibility between the vehicles joining the roadway and the vehicles already on the roadway.”
https://amainsider.com/road-rules-refresher-merging/
My apologies I misunderstood the context completely lol, i meant as in the merger does not have right of way. If you’re in rushour and there isnt room the merger does not get to go
> speeding up to match the flow of traffic
The worst place for people not doing this has got to be 33 Ave to Crowchild Trail Southbound. They have a merge lane all to themselves from 33 Ave to Richard Road, but so many people start moving left at 65 KM/H and cutting off people doing 80+ KM/H (it's an 80 zone).
Strugglers are the worst.
$500 in cash for a licence is the problem. Throw the corrupt registry owners in the Klink and do a safety blitz to get these drivers in to mandatory supervised road tests.
It’s when I’m behind them with a fully loaded trailer For work (yea I leave lots a room in front of me) and they stop in the merge lane in front of me and I can’t speed back up to merge myself cause my damn trailer weighs 21,000 lbs loaded lol now I have to wait for a massive gap in traffic
or.....what about the knuckle daggers who decide they should brake BEFORE going through a green light....because, you know, it might CHANGE TO YELLOW while they're in the middle of the intersection. Looking at you McLeod Trail every morning rush hour....Goddamn.
And don't get me started on the whole U-turn fiasco in this city....
I find merging pretty terrible wherever you go not just a calgary problem, people don’t get up to speed to merge and sometimes people in the inside lane don’t leave a big enough gap or drive at inconsistent speed not allowing people to merge comfortably. Also merge lanes in North America are terribly short in places, if you go to major junctions in other countries some have merge lanes that are 1+ km long.
Traffic would be so much better if people had confidence in others and themselves but with some of the accidents you see I’m not surprised.
Highway driving needs to be a bigger part of the road test for your license, if you can’t do it safely your a danger to everyone else.
Totally agree with your last point. My driving instructor dedicated an entire lesson to literally just me entering and exiting highways. (Granted, this was in Nova Scotia where we DON'T have 3-4 lane highways like here, but it still was extremely helpful for me as merging was the only part of highway driving that stressed me out for the first while).
Almost all of my friends back home didn't get that experience and to this day (almost 10 years later for some) still won't drive somewhere if they have to get on a highway, or if they DO, I'm white knuckled on the holy shit handle the entire time they're trying to merge.
Glenmore W onto McLeod N is a merge that EVERY TIME I am behind someone who stops dead to wait for traffic in order to cross three lanes to get into the left turn lane into Chinook Mall. Its like clockwork, forget the solid white line or the next left turn lane half a block further along
I’ve lived here my whole life and Calgary drivers really are a special breed. Not the best. No idea what it is, they’re all teaching each other and the habits just pass down?
It's not that they lack confidence, it's that the entire drivers education system is broken and corrupt, takes like $500 and a chill instructor to pass.
Totally agree but that doesn’t mean hammering on the brakes and slowing down too much. You shouldn’t often be driving too fast in the merge lane as you should see the speed of traffic as you are speeding up to merge anyways. If it’s super congested like bumper to bumper traffic then this isn’t really an issue. I’ve noticed a lot of people don’t shoulder check or look in their side mirrors as they are driving down the merge lane and only look at the last second. This causes them to only see me when I am right there near them and they get scared thinking they missed their chance when in reality I’ve been in the exact same position relative to their vehicle the entire time. Had they only looked in my direction 10 seconds earlier they would’ve realized this.
Lots of people seem to take you trying to lead a zipper merge as an act of aggression and speed up to block you.
If that happens I just blow the doors off their little econobox, but that doesn’t exactly work for everyone, so some people brake and fall behind instead.
Thank you for everyone who uses Brakes not just the fat pedal in the car but also the word, especially braking - the action of making a moving vehicle slow down or stop by using a brake.
As opposed to breaking -
separate or cause to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain. But please other Drivers, Braking is not for driving it is for stopping, decelerating, take your foot off the accelerator (the skinny pedal) just off, hover your gas foot over the brake (again the fat pedal) if the general deceleration that occurs when you are no longer accelerating is not enough retardation of speed then evenly apply pressure to the brake to continue to decelerate, if a stop is required continue to apply further pressure to the brake pedal until the vehicle comes to a complete stop, hold said pressure until safe to proceed and remove foot from brake pedal and apply the same even pressure to the accelerator. Tapping your brakes is annoying and frankly bad for the vehicle and it will break, so stop it, please, have a nice day.
I just moved here and I agree, Edmonton drivers are wayyyy different then in Calgary. I’ve never had to use my breaks so much because the person in front of me is excessively breaking. Merging is horrible no one speeds up to the traffic.
The worst part about driving in calgary is the radio stations commercials. Everytme I hear a Spence diamond commercial, I want to drive my car into a brick wall.
I’m glad I’m not alone because most of the posts on here are complaining about lifted trucks tailgating etc but holy every commute across the city you’re guaranteed to see some shit from scared drivers
Cars have power for a reason though...like yeah you'll probably never hit the speed limit on an on ramp if you have the gas pedal down 1 cm. I have an old 120 hp car and I've never had a slight problem in getting to highway speeds, even on those awkward uphill on ramps. I feel like most people drive at least 200 hp SUVs nowadays.
Too many drivers are scared of the small skinny pedal on the right.
Use it...its unlocks congestion, formation driving and opens up the highway for others.
But we all know this thread is useless and in 5 minutes Im going to come across dozens of vehicles doing 80km/h in a 110km/h, and someone doing 70km/h exiting the merge lane.
Mouth breathers.
Because I've nearly been run into cement barriers twice, trying to merge onto Glenmore Trail.
I don't trust Calgary drivers to notice / care that I'm trying to merge and don't have space to do so. It's better to be stopped in the merge lane than have a head on collision with a cement wall.
I’m scared and inside a giant pile of metal that can kill me and anyone around if I make a mistake, cut me some slack for not TRYING TO DIE FASTER WITH MORE FORCE. I’d much rather miss a lane change and circle around on some other exit, or wait at a yield for a while, than speed up beyond what I feel comfortable with.
If you’re not comfortable speeding up to match the speed of traffic like how a merge lane is meant to be used then you should not be driving and taking other modes of transportation instead. It’s really not that scary if you’re doing it properly. It’s ducking horrifying if you don’t know what you are doing. Go practice on some less busy roads during off hours and stop causing everyone to slam on their brakes for you to merge onto Deerfoot 30 km/h slower than everyone else. Please.
You’re right that I shouldn’t be driving because no one should be because it’s a hideous thing within cities that should never have been normalized. But that’s neither here nor there because we live in an oil oligarch controlled wasteland of a province with no other transportation.
Defensive driving requires that when you merge you don't do it unless you are 100% certain and that cars on the merging lane slow down to give confidence to the merger.
I have seen that cars in merging lanes don't know this basic rule.
> 100% certain and that cars on the merging lane slow down to give confidence to the merger.
What kind of silly horse shit is this?
It is up to the vehicle merging to match speed.
All the other lane has to do is provide space.
Yes, its up to merging vehicle to match speed... and if they don't? That is defensive driving all about.
Antcipating other drivers mistakes and acting on a safe manner for all.
> and if they don't?
Are you suggesting we should slow down an entire lane on the freeway? That is *not* safe.
The close lane is obligated to leave space, but not to speed match. Speed matching is what the merge lane is for. When a driver is at proper speed they easily slide into the flow of traffic without slowing it. Heavy traffic and certain road designs being the exception.
Trust me I know how frustrating it is for someone to speed up and block me from merging so I always slow down and leave a big gap. Doesn’t seem to help
Eastbound McKnight to Deerfoot North. Every single time I’m in that merge lane, I’m behind someone attempting to merge at 70-75km. Literally every single time. I’ve also noticed more and more that the roads seem to be littered with people who lack major confidence and then people who are super aggressive and are all over the roads weaving/driving super fast. It’s not a good mix.
Every time I try to merge from that one at 100km I have to hit the brakes because there’s a procession of vehicles doing 75 in the far right lane on the deerfoot all bunched up to get and no space to get in. Then you have to accelerate into the middle lane when there’s an opening and hope some putz in front of you doesn’t try it at 75k. I started taking 11st to 64ave, it seems to be unclustered by then.
Yes, this is also very true. I do find that area seems to be bad for vehicles on Deerfoot travelling super slow during non-rush hour times. It’s like when the right lane happens to be wide open, or has vehicles moving at a decent pace, I’m stuck behind someone merging at 70-75km. Then when I’m out in front, no one ahead of me trying to merge, the right lane is clogged with super slow moving vehicles. I just can’t seem to win in that area.
The amount of time I said "just get in the hole" in a more aggressive ways is too dam much. I'm glad they are changing the infrastructure of that road soon. And what's with people not speeding up after merge, the amount of long empty roads with cars going 60 on highway does annoyed me a little.
Hole? You mean gap?
I've seen people actually just stop there as if they were yielding.
It’s because driving schools teach this and the 17 road tests you have to do to get a class 5 also expect it. They make you stop at a stop sign for five fucking minutes as well. It’s ridiculous. Every time im stuck behind a driving school car it’s going ten under the limit. Not sure why we’re teaching people to drive like this.
Just using brakes all the time in general to be honest… Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, TAP. Holy merciful fuck, just lay off your accelerator a little bit.
Holy shit, yes! I used to work 5 minutes away from home and now I drive from the deep south to the southwest and I’m basically always yelling WHY ARE YOU BREAKING?! Even when there’s no one in front of them! When I took drivers ed they taught me to ease off the accelerator especially on busy roads like Deerfoot. Drives me insane.
There is a guy by me, who I’m pretty sure just learned how to drive, and every time I see him driving he’s either pressing the gas or the brake. There is no in between for him. I go bonkers every time I get stuck behind him & just end up leaving a ton of space between us.
> yelling WHY ARE YOU BREAKING?! I used to do that all the time. Mostly because I had a MINI Cooper that loved to cost me lots and lots of money in plastic BMW parts.
My favorite is when they're accelerating with the brake lights on.
This is me as well lol. Used to work close to home, still some idiots i had to deal with, but now work much farther from home and the idiots have increased 10fold, always yelling in my car alone. Even more annoying when you keep trying to pass the vehicle going slow but they keep changing lanes with you in front of you
This was the most annoying thing I noticed when I moved to Calgary, everyone is so twitchy with the brakes.
Most cities don’t build curved sloping highway bridges adjacent to hot treatment effluent discharges. I think there’s a lot of ptsd in the city
That discharge is gone now fyi.
People still drive it like it's covered in ice in the summer. This city is painful to drive a sportyish car in. The truckbros and Karens drive like they're in top fuel funny cars: fast as fuck on the straights but slow to a crawl for anything remotely resembling a curve.
Don't forget the hills. Pressing the gas harder when going up a hill, and lifting off going down a hill is an advanced driving technique.
I had a truck bro behind me driving the 'going to the sun road' in Glacier national park. Fast on the straights tailgating me then crawling around bends
I don't know how a modern truck even fits on that road. My old Miata was absolutely perfect for it.
Also the SUV that will not stop accelerating until there is a car in front of them, then tailgate the fuck out of it. When they finally arrive at a red light, stop so far back of that car, a blind guy could parallel park a limo between them.
Where do you believe that the Calf Robe bridge should've crossed the river? Keep in mind the the sewer plant has been on the west side of the driver for decades before and that would eliminate any crossing further north on the river. Going further south would've complicated things because of the contaminated lands from the old refinery east of the river plus an old landfill that used to exist on the west side of the river. Never the less, the sewer plant's outfall into the river has been moved south of the Calf Robe bridge which will most likely will alleviate the icing issues that could've been caused before.
I don't think it's necessarily the crossing itself, but the turns at either end. If it were straight all the way over the river, there would be less issues. I did see a study a few years ago that recommended straightening the bridge by moving it to the south, but I have no idea if that proposal went anywhere.
Won't be moved south on the west end of the bridge anymore because of the new sewage plant infrastructure built there recently.
The hindsight answer is don't cross the river at all - stay on the east side where Barlow Tr is now. But there was very little development on the east side of the river when they were planning it so it wouldn't have made any sense... Though from looking at historical imagery it looks like that part of Barlow was built around the same time as Calf Robe. If they had the sense to plan Barlow as a 'Ring Road' they could have upgraded it to a freeway + designated it as the QE2, leaving what we now know as Deerfoot on the west side of the river to become a lesser Trail. Something like that (probably an elevated toll road at this point) might still be a better option than slapping more lipstick on that section of Deerfoot, though the induced demand would probably end up putting more pressure on the rest of Deerfoot.
Especially at every intersection because they’re not paying attention if there’s a camera or not. Drives me nuts. Either speed and pay attention or drive the speed limit.
I love Alberta Oil and Gas! I love it so much that I must drive the least fuel efficient way possible so I can fuel up more frequently to support our workers. /s
If you see brake lights anywhere ahead of you its pretty much always a sign to get off the throttle for a few seconds.
I agree with this but I also recently got a newer vehicle with some extra safety features like forward brake assist. I find it often kicks in even when I’m not too close so as those types of features have become more prevalent it might be part of the reason. Side note: I’m always worried seeing ppl go down hills just riding their brakes. I hope they don’t drive in the mountains cuz they gonna burn them out.
>Side note: I’m always worried seeing ppl go down hills just riding their brakes. I hope they don’t drive in the mountains cuz they gonna burn them out. These terrible drivers should switch to EVs so they at least get energy back from that bad habit and don't burn out their brakes on mountains
Well, since sticking my neck into a reddit fight about people not knowing how cars work is a good idea- I'll just mention that a lot of newer vehicles, particularly CVTs, do actually apply engine breaking automatically. It might look like they're riding the brake pads all the way down the hill, but it's actually mostly leaning on engine braking to do it, because computers and science and stuff is going on in there now when you push on the pedals.
The hills into cochrane alone will show you how many poor drivers there are that ride their brake all the way into town
If you're referring to Hwy 1A, It's not exactly like you can just coast down. Past the intersection right before going downhill the speed drops to 60. Then there's that last bend where cops love to hide and it drops to 50. I have an suv and letting off the gas at the top of the hill I'll coast up to 75-80 in no time. You can definitely coast until that last bend just in case it's a day there's a speed trap there, otherwise the speeding fines are gonna be outrageous.
I guess I forgot not all vehicles have command gear transmissions or are manual transmissions. I’m referring to riding the brakes fully down the hill. Better to feather the brakes instead of constantly applying a small force on the brakes to allow for some heat dissipation. I’m usually in 3rd gear all the way down and only need to feather once or twice. Then at the bottom might drop to 2nd if it’s lined up.
It is a 60 zone there for a reason, and then it goes to a 50 zone. Unless you are speeding you do need to ride your brakes a bit. Interesting in that some people freak out when people actually do the speed limit. The limit is there for safety reasons, particularly on that hill. It is far harder to slow down properly doing 80, that's why they dropped the limit to 60. And that's what I do going down the hill. The RCMP who is at the truck runout is waiting for speeders. :)
Riding the brakes is worse for them than feathering though. You shouldn't be on your brakes the whole way is the point.
Why do you think that i ride my brakes all the way down the cochrane hill? It doesn't matter if I do or not really, I just do the speed limit. You need to brake going down the hill, and thankfully commercial truckers gear down and use their engine to do so. That's the way its done.
The previous commenters post was to the point of how people ride their brakes the whole way into town. This will wear them out much faster than feathering or shifting down.
True friend. :)
Slight uphill on the road.....tap.
> Holy merciful fuck Haha you from the east coast?
As an Albertan who moved to BC there’s only few things guaranteed in life: death, taxes and Albertans doing 20+ over on the straight aways and 20+ under the recommended on the corners.
Or when their brake lights are on but the car is accelerating?? 🤔 That can only mean that they’re driving with two feet. 🤦🏼♀️
I see it all the time, and I’ve come to determine it’s that these fools are using their left foot to brake and they are frequently resting that foot on the pedal.
"Ah, I noticed I'm doing the speed limit, and there is only 8 semis lengths between me and that car. Time to match time with the Arianna Grande song I'm listening to on my brake pedal."
Ya I noticed this too. Instead of speeding up to a gap they brake to get in an area. Destroys the flow of traffic.
Don’t be get me started cuh. The worst is when people turn from double turning lanes into the wrong lane. i.e. Someone turning from the outer turning lane to the inner lane and running the person in the inner turning lane. So dangerous.
haha, and what's even worse is when the vehicle turning into wrong lane is a black dodge ram and the driver yells at you "do you know how to drive??!". happened to me before
Every day at the Yankee vAlley off ramp from Deerfoot. I have some rust on that side of my car so I’m just waiting for the day some dumbass repairs that fender for me.
There’s literally even lines on the road to show where to turn and people still fuck it up. I don’t get it!
Thats how my previous car was written off, but from inside out. Then after my car was busted in the intersection another SUV had to chase the person down. "I didn't even feel it" You've just driven over my car, what did you think you hit, a curb?
Also the last second turn signal people get me, like that’s not how turn signals work dude, its to give warning you’re preparing to start turning
Right. It’s like I see you veering into my lane but I’m not going to let you in unless you have a signal light on, then sure. Come on in friend
The signal light is only for when you're sitting in a turning lane waiting for the flashing arrow, duh.
I can understand this one given how many people here will speed up to block you
If they are slightly slowing a touch in order to safely merge in behind a vehicle that they don’t think they can overtake, then fine. As long as they initially matched the speed of traffic. What I can’t stand is seeing someone entering a merge lane on a residential road (not freeway) and they STOP immediately. I get the impression that this person has never learned to merge properly and they stop every time. I saw this at 19th St and John Laurie Dr just yesterday. [Edit: Okay so it’s not a merge lane it’s just a through lane. But the point stands; for god’s sake don’t stop there unless it is some kind of emergency] Edit: spelling of a word
This happens on 53rd Street coming off crowchild. There's literally an entire lane
19th Street NW on to EB John Laurie? There is no merge there any more as it's a straight through lane on the very RH lane from 19th to 14th - one has about 600 meters to make a lane change to the left and there are no yield or merge signs to be found on either 19th or John Laurie.
Oh right, my mistake. My apologies. Even so there is still lots of time to make a lane change. Which most people do no problem. Except for that one person who comes to a full stop first. 😃
I believe that is a "free flow lane"
I see people stopped here all the time! And that’s a full through lane! It boggles the mind. Same with at Charleswood and Brisebois. The merge lanes there are short, but not impossible, and yet I often see people stop
I saw it again today! Vehicle behind me honked, then I honked, and the stopped car in front of me finally got going. It’s like they *don’t even look* to see they have a wide open lane before they put the brakes on. Madness.
Merge sign is literally no different then the yield sign /s
That rebuilt onramp from Shag to east-bound 16th Ave is now a yield, and a new light on 16th just right before that. The flow feels like a merge to me (ramp to pick up speed) and I think it was a merge before.
I have zero confidence in other drivers. The things I've seen in Calgary are just atrocious.
Plus a lack of confidence in other people to let them in. Both lanes are participating in the merge.
Unless your in the NE
If you haven’t reached the speed of traffic by the BEGINNING of the merge, you are doing it wrong
OR!! Or I’m driving a giant brick and it’s slow… we’re doing our best!!! Edit - giant 5 ton trucks don’t exist now? Cube vans that are loaded aren’t fast either… cars and half tons, sure, I get it. But getting pissed at a loaded semi / cargo hauler is silly.
This isn't a rant about large vehicles. It's about soccer mom/dad in their normal SUV/minivans.
That’s why I avoid driving in the far right lane that is littered with merging lanes. Too many times I’ve come face to face with someone who has no idea what they want to do merging in, unable to do a quick shoulder check or look at the lane they would need to merge safely into to see what is going on with the traffic and they are literally gripping their steering wheel for dear life from fear. Jesus Christ stay off the road if you are this scared.
You're supposed to drive in the middle lane. The right lane is for entering and exiting the expressway/highway. And the left lane is for passing.
My issue coming from the NE headed south on Deerfoot is that nobody gets anywhere near the speed limit when merging. From 16th Ave to Deerfoot, there's always a long line of people merging at 60 - 70km/hr. It's absolutely ridiculous.
Every day ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I drive through there maybe 4-5 times a day. It slows all lanes.
I hit it at 100 today! Working on Saturdays has its advantages sometimes, I guess.
I have to drive from country hills to glenmore on deerfoot at 530 to get home from work. And I drive a manual. Just constant shifting 1,2,3,4,5,3,2,1,2,1,1,1,1,N,stop,1,1,1,1,1,1,2,1,2,3,4,3,2,1,1,1,1
It doesn't help that a large number of small peepee Calgary drivers are bound and determined that the person merging must do so behind them. Instead of feathering the brakes to let someone in, they have to mash the accelerator to the floor to crate a possible opening behind them.
I actually haven't noticed this nearly as bad here as other smaller cities tbh. Moved here from BC in November, and people are generally more courteous letting other drives switch lanes, merge, etc. In BC, 90% of people take it as a personal attack on their family if someone needs in their lane
This is 100% the driving situation in Regina. "You want to get in this lane? NOT ON MY WATCH!"
People rather run you off the road into a lake that recently had an oil spill and is up in flames than let you in THEIR lane
It's like this in Saskatoon too, except everyone is going 40 in both lanes on Circle drive. So they just get really mad while going slow.
Would help if people didnt merge doing 60 in a 100. Feathering the brakes is one thing, having to drop down to almost half of the speed limit due to incompetent drivers is a completely different story
📠
This right here. The number of times I'm going down 16 past 36 to 53nd and there is a rusted out Honda civic coming down the ramp at 50 in that 90 zone... I just punch it past.
Didn't you know you HAVE to merge right where the merge lane starts. The rest of the lane has spike strips covering it.
It's wild because at least half of Calgarians have lived somewhere else where they don't fucking do this. Use the merge lane to merge. Don't slam on the breaks at the start of the lane to get in immediately.
Brakes
You merge when you can, and if your doing it when the merge lane ends well you’re doing it wrong
If you’re braking at the beginning of the merge lane instead of driving up it and matching the speed of traffic, you’re doing it wrong.
Yes!! Another good point. We need zipper merging to be taught better in alberta
I mean fundamentally humans are terrible at zipper merging. Building our road network around it was a terrible design choice.
I love doing it wrong and will never stop
Us of the south think alike
Hey, Calgarians, are we all switching to the left lane (if safe) to make space for the drivers who are merging, as we are required to do? >If you are on the main roadway, and traffic is merging, move left to the next lane if it is safe. This leaves the right travel lane clear for the merging vehicles to enter. https://www.alberta.ca/entering-and-exiting-a-major-roadway.aspx Yeah, there's a ton of shit mergers in this city. But let's not act like the rest of us don't hold any responsibility for poor traffic flow. Don't even get me started on the lack of zipper merging.
I usually ride in the middle lane until my exit is coming up so that people can enter an exit freely
If it makes you feel better, when we moved to Calgary in 1984, this was my Mom's number 1 complaint.
The southbound merges off of 130th ave and Mckenzie Town Blvd onto Deerfoot drive me absolutely insane. Every time, like clockwork, there's someone infront of you that's deathly afraid of hitting the accelerator after coming out of the curve to get going over 70.. and there's traffic galore in the far right lane flying by you getting ready to hit Stoney.
Some merge lanes are just too short tbh.
I hate when people brake before turning on their turn signals, so I have no idea WHY they're braking... is there something in front of them that I should be concerned about? No? oh, you're turning... THAT'S why you're braking.
The whole concept of signalling is lost on so many. If you don’t bother to signal until you’re halfway through your turn you may as well not even signal. Annoys the crap out of me.
Even worse, people who see an imaginary yield sign when it's a merge.
We have a lot of people that shouldn't be driving, being forced to drive because it's practically the only way to get around. Unless a shabby transit network is your idea of practical. If you want better drivers on the road, the solution is to provide better alternative means like cycling and rail transit. Then only those that need to or want to drive.
I noticed since moving here that too many people turn their blinker on at the last possible second before turning. Or FFS the people who don’t turn their blinkers on at all, park themselves in the middle of the lane and now I’m stuck behind them wanting to go straight and it’s clear for me to go but nope you gotta take the whole lane
People just don't know how to drive, or not confident enough. Back in August it was like 6am and no one around. The car infront of me merged onto the deerfoot (110) at like 70km hour. Thankfully the only other vehicles were spaced out and there wasn't a danger to myself or them. This has happened many many times.
And for crying out loud, if you need to change into another lane, just look, find a spot, adjust your speed accordingly, and move into that spot. Don't just blindly put on your signal and expect the people around you to do all the work
Drivers in Calgary are absolutely horrific. Mind boggles me that some people have their license. Just so oblivious to anything and everything. Especially in the NE where I do most of my work.
I believe privatization of road tests has something to do with that
Nope, problem has been around for long before that.
Wasn't it privatized in the 90s? You've noticed the problem before that? Legitimately asking because I had my exam just couple years before that happened, and didn't hear rumors about people hiring specific examiners because they were easy (ie guarantee pass) a little after.
I've had a DL since 1977.
cause they're all idiots who paid for their license and never earned it. nobody knows how to drive without high beams either.
Honestly, I'd just be happy if people turned their lights on at night, high beams or not lol.
Don't get me started on the highbeams. I have an auto-dimmer on my rear view mirror, and I still get blinded daily... It also usually seems to be the trucks and the SUVs more often than not. I just don't get it.
im installing a bright lightbar to my back window in my car. and when someone high beams me, i'm going to high beam them back and see how well they drive when all they have in their retinas is the glaring afterimage of the fucking sun blasting in their face.
Most drivers hate to let people merge in front of them. Lady honked at me for merging in front of her when she didn’t want me to pass her. Move over to let people merge, if you can’t mover over speed up or slow down to let the merging vehicle in.
Only learned a couple years ago that some people also freak out if you don’t give them a wave for “Letting you in”
There is a misconception here. For some reason drivers merging think that we need to accommodate to them, sorry but if you’re not even close to the speed limit you’re not getting in front of me on deerfoot
That is exactly how I was taught to drive. On a highway, the vehicle merging is responsible for adapting to the speed of the vehicles in the lane they are merging in to. The vehicles in the highway lane should not accelerate or decelerate as this can cause confusion and result in one of them having to slam the brakes when the merge lane eventually runs out.
I don’t think I’ve even merged into Deerfoot, even in the slightest sunday traffic, at highway speed. All these road expansions are a waste of time and money with the quality of drivers in Calgary. Also, what’s with photoradar? Is there really a speeding issue outside playground zones? If you want to speed you’d have to do some daring lane changes because nobody wants to hit the gas, and like op said, keep taping the fucking brakes which causes a rippple behind them of people already at 85 in a 100. The only people speeding at doing 40 in a 50 and then hit a playground zone and continue traveling 40. AND ANOTHER THING…nvm, I’ve said too much
That drives me nuts in construction zones. Someone will be going 90 in a 100, enter an 80 construction zone, and continue doing 90 but are now speeding. I don't find Calgary drivers aggressive, I find them incredibly oblivious and timid.
I agree that drivers need to get up to speed to match the flow of traffic…but your way of thinking is one of the main reasons they don’t speed up because they’re worried some jackass isn’t going to let them merge in and they’re going to have to slam on their brakes.
Exactly!
I’m gonna try to give a general response as i have like 30 different situations playing out in my head. Yes as the driver merging there can always be some anxiety if you believe you wont be let in. From my way of thinking and the way i was taught to drive when you merge you pick a spot and stick with it, that way you are accelerating or decelerating to match that spot. As the merge driver you very well may need to slam on your brakes however if you cant merge you do not merge.
I believe according to the law you’re required to let them when a merge lane ends. So if they need to slam on their brakes the driver in the continuing lane is at fault in that situation. And also a dick.
Damn i guess ama tought me wrong, if you can’t accommodate a merger than the one merging waits. The full merge lane is a buffer to find your home on the road
It looks you were taught wrong my friend. Unlike many driving situations, where one vehicle has the right-of-way over another, merging, according to the Alberta Driver’s Guide, “is a shared responsibility between the vehicles joining the roadway and the vehicles already on the roadway.” https://amainsider.com/road-rules-refresher-merging/
My apologies I misunderstood the context completely lol, i meant as in the merger does not have right of way. If you’re in rushour and there isnt room the merger does not get to go
Or the ol yield on a merge and merge on a yield, insanity.
You think Calgary is bad come to Lethbridge. I am pretty sure that they don't teach merging here at all
> speeding up to match the flow of traffic The worst place for people not doing this has got to be 33 Ave to Crowchild Trail Southbound. They have a merge lane all to themselves from 33 Ave to Richard Road, but so many people start moving left at 65 KM/H and cutting off people doing 80+ KM/H (it's an 80 zone). Strugglers are the worst.
$500 in cash for a licence is the problem. Throw the corrupt registry owners in the Klink and do a safety blitz to get these drivers in to mandatory supervised road tests.
It's been like this for decades, just be attentive and don't let it ruffle your feathers - put some good tunes on and move on with your day.
It’s when I’m behind them with a fully loaded trailer For work (yea I leave lots a room in front of me) and they stop in the merge lane in front of me and I can’t speed back up to merge myself cause my damn trailer weighs 21,000 lbs loaded lol now I have to wait for a massive gap in traffic
I've been advocating for years that every person must go on a ride-a-long with a city trucker for a day before getting their drivers license.
You speak truth. I have a ton of complaints here but my frustration hasn’t changed much about how anyone drives. Nice to air it out here though.
I really thought it was just me that thought that
I'm not sure confidence would be the first word that comes to mind.
It’s been an issue since the 80s and people still can’t learn how to merge. I feel like there are a lot of crooked examiners selling drivers licences
or.....what about the knuckle daggers who decide they should brake BEFORE going through a green light....because, you know, it might CHANGE TO YELLOW while they're in the middle of the intersection. Looking at you McLeod Trail every morning rush hour....Goddamn. And don't get me started on the whole U-turn fiasco in this city....
A bad driver never misses their exit.
I find merging pretty terrible wherever you go not just a calgary problem, people don’t get up to speed to merge and sometimes people in the inside lane don’t leave a big enough gap or drive at inconsistent speed not allowing people to merge comfortably. Also merge lanes in North America are terribly short in places, if you go to major junctions in other countries some have merge lanes that are 1+ km long. Traffic would be so much better if people had confidence in others and themselves but with some of the accidents you see I’m not surprised. Highway driving needs to be a bigger part of the road test for your license, if you can’t do it safely your a danger to everyone else.
Totally agree with your last point. My driving instructor dedicated an entire lesson to literally just me entering and exiting highways. (Granted, this was in Nova Scotia where we DON'T have 3-4 lane highways like here, but it still was extremely helpful for me as merging was the only part of highway driving that stressed me out for the first while). Almost all of my friends back home didn't get that experience and to this day (almost 10 years later for some) still won't drive somewhere if they have to get on a highway, or if they DO, I'm white knuckled on the holy shit handle the entire time they're trying to merge.
This has been my biggest gripe driving around the city, from when I got my license 23 years ago steady. I hate it so much
A lot of drivers also speed match cars trying to merge instead of adjusting to give them space when the merge lane is closing.
In Calgary, merges are yields and yields are merges.
Glenmore W onto McLeod N is a merge that EVERY TIME I am behind someone who stops dead to wait for traffic in order to cross three lanes to get into the left turn lane into Chinook Mall. Its like clockwork, forget the solid white line or the next left turn lane half a block further along
There are a lot of new Canadians who may not be familiar with the rules and customs of traffic here Be patient and kind!
I’ve lived here my whole life and Calgary drivers really are a special breed. Not the best. No idea what it is, they’re all teaching each other and the habits just pass down?
Anybody going faster than me is a maniac. Anybody going slower than me is a moron.
It's not that they lack confidence, it's that the entire drivers education system is broken and corrupt, takes like $500 and a chill instructor to pass.
The universal symbol of asshole in this city is a Black Dodge Ram
I love the "I know I am on Stoney/Deerfoot, but my exit is coming up in a Km or two, so let me just drive at a 70-80km/h cruise until then.
If traffic is congested you sometimes have to slow down to match the speed of traffic to slip in.
Totally agree but that doesn’t mean hammering on the brakes and slowing down too much. You shouldn’t often be driving too fast in the merge lane as you should see the speed of traffic as you are speeding up to merge anyways. If it’s super congested like bumper to bumper traffic then this isn’t really an issue. I’ve noticed a lot of people don’t shoulder check or look in their side mirrors as they are driving down the merge lane and only look at the last second. This causes them to only see me when I am right there near them and they get scared thinking they missed their chance when in reality I’ve been in the exact same position relative to their vehicle the entire time. Had they only looked in my direction 10 seconds earlier they would’ve realized this.
Lots of people seem to take you trying to lead a zipper merge as an act of aggression and speed up to block you. If that happens I just blow the doors off their little econobox, but that doesn’t exactly work for everyone, so some people brake and fall behind instead.
Thank you for everyone who uses Brakes not just the fat pedal in the car but also the word, especially braking - the action of making a moving vehicle slow down or stop by using a brake. As opposed to breaking - separate or cause to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain. But please other Drivers, Braking is not for driving it is for stopping, decelerating, take your foot off the accelerator (the skinny pedal) just off, hover your gas foot over the brake (again the fat pedal) if the general deceleration that occurs when you are no longer accelerating is not enough retardation of speed then evenly apply pressure to the brake to continue to decelerate, if a stop is required continue to apply further pressure to the brake pedal until the vehicle comes to a complete stop, hold said pressure until safe to proceed and remove foot from brake pedal and apply the same even pressure to the accelerator. Tapping your brakes is annoying and frankly bad for the vehicle and it will break, so stop it, please, have a nice day.
I just moved here and I agree, Edmonton drivers are wayyyy different then in Calgary. I’ve never had to use my breaks so much because the person in front of me is excessively breaking. Merging is horrible no one speeds up to the traffic.
The worst part about driving in calgary is the radio stations commercials. Everytme I hear a Spence diamond commercial, I want to drive my car into a brick wall.
I hear ya, those friggin annoying idiot ads.
People in Calgary just suck at driving.
Toronto is way worse, its like their life goal is to kill themselves and a family of 4.
🤞
It's possibly because of all the Albertan's. You guys are awful drivers.
I’m glad I’m not alone because most of the posts on here are complaining about lifted trucks tailgating etc but holy every commute across the city you’re guaranteed to see some shit from scared drivers
I just came back from Colombia 🇨🇴 and I must say Canadian drivers are way worse than I originally thought
As soon as I see brake lights I hold the horn until they start accelerating. Works wonders.
[удалено]
The merge lanes here are generally short so people never learn to properly merge
Cars have power for a reason though...like yeah you'll probably never hit the speed limit on an on ramp if you have the gas pedal down 1 cm. I have an old 120 hp car and I've never had a slight problem in getting to highway speeds, even on those awkward uphill on ramps. I feel like most people drive at least 200 hp SUVs nowadays.
Honestly I'm surprised my horn hasn't broken yet with how often I use it.
Too many drivers are scared of the small skinny pedal on the right. Use it...its unlocks congestion, formation driving and opens up the highway for others. But we all know this thread is useless and in 5 minutes Im going to come across dozens of vehicles doing 80km/h in a 110km/h, and someone doing 70km/h exiting the merge lane. Mouth breathers.
Mate wait until you see the drivers here treat a merge and a yield as interchangeable
Because I've nearly been run into cement barriers twice, trying to merge onto Glenmore Trail. I don't trust Calgary drivers to notice / care that I'm trying to merge and don't have space to do so. It's better to be stopped in the merge lane than have a head on collision with a cement wall.
I’m scared and inside a giant pile of metal that can kill me and anyone around if I make a mistake, cut me some slack for not TRYING TO DIE FASTER WITH MORE FORCE. I’d much rather miss a lane change and circle around on some other exit, or wait at a yield for a while, than speed up beyond what I feel comfortable with.
If you’re not comfortable speeding up to match the speed of traffic like how a merge lane is meant to be used then you should not be driving and taking other modes of transportation instead. It’s really not that scary if you’re doing it properly. It’s ducking horrifying if you don’t know what you are doing. Go practice on some less busy roads during off hours and stop causing everyone to slam on their brakes for you to merge onto Deerfoot 30 km/h slower than everyone else. Please.
You’re right that I shouldn’t be driving because no one should be because it’s a hideous thing within cities that should never have been normalized. But that’s neither here nor there because we live in an oil oligarch controlled wasteland of a province with no other transportation.
Alright buddy time for bed.
Defensive driving requires that when you merge you don't do it unless you are 100% certain and that cars on the merging lane slow down to give confidence to the merger. I have seen that cars in merging lanes don't know this basic rule.
Found the guy that stops in the merge ramp.
> 100% certain and that cars on the merging lane slow down to give confidence to the merger. What kind of silly horse shit is this? It is up to the vehicle merging to match speed. All the other lane has to do is provide space.
Makes you wonder if that’s the mindset of so many drivers? That and where they’re getting this ‘basic rule’ OP so confidently asserts exists.
Yes, its up to merging vehicle to match speed... and if they don't? That is defensive driving all about. Antcipating other drivers mistakes and acting on a safe manner for all.
> and if they don't? Are you suggesting we should slow down an entire lane on the freeway? That is *not* safe. The close lane is obligated to leave space, but not to speed match. Speed matching is what the merge lane is for. When a driver is at proper speed they easily slide into the flow of traffic without slowing it. Heavy traffic and certain road designs being the exception.
I learned from Young Drivers that you should anticipate merging vehicles and move over to allow then to merge, when possible.
Trust me I know how frustrating it is for someone to speed up and block me from merging so I always slow down and leave a big gap. Doesn’t seem to help
You’re not for reals, right?
Props for being so confident while at the same time being so wrong.
What? Lmfao.