I rode my first supersport bike and..

[shootingrubber]

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I don't get why North Americans love to reference the Autobahn in their arguments for more speed.

Germany (arguably all of western/central Europe) has a very civilized driving culture. In addition, they have VERY difficult and VERY stringent licensing requirements and tests. They won't even recognize many foreign licenses (unrestricted or otherwise) This is why the Autobahn can exist. And even with that being said, the Autobahn does have speed limits, they're just digital boards and are changed on the fly by a traffic control centre to suit the flow of traffic and amount of traffic. You'll only see them blank from night to early morning.

Yes, this is why they recognized my motorcycle license from Canada when I went to rent a motorcycle in Munich 1 week ago.

EDIT: The Autobahn does have portions that are limitless actually. No speed limit. The rest usually has a speed limit of 130 km/h. Yet, it's one of the safest roads in the world.

 

[Macs]

Yes, this is why they recognized my motorcycle license from Canada when I went to rent a motorcycle in Munich 1 week ago.

EDIT: The Autobahn does have portions that are limitless actually. No speed limit. The rest usually has a speed limit of 130 km/h. Yet, it's one of the safest roads in the world.

"Many" foreign licenses. I'm over there and in the Netherlands a couple times a year, I've seen them reject plenty of US and Eastern european licenses. The uncontrolled portions you're talking about are well away from city congestion though, and since we're talking about ontario highways and the forum is GTA-centric I think we should focus on limits in densely populated areas no?

I never said it was unsafe...in fact I gave very specific reasons as to why it's safe. I'm not sure what you were trying to do with that post? What I was saying was the concept of the Autobahn is completely unrelated to Ontario.

Edited to add: Also for those who were wondering, all of Germany's expressways are called Autobahn. It's not just one highway.

 

[shootingrubber]

"Many" foreign licenses. The portions you're talking about are well away from city congestion though, and since we're talking about ontario highways and the forum is GTA-centric I think we should focus on limits in densely populated areas no?

I never said it was unsafe...in fact I gave very specific reasons as to why it's safe. I'm not sure what you were trying to do with that post?

To prove that their isn't a good reason why 100 km/h is the max speed limit on Ontario highways other than more revenue. And the licensing system in Germany isn't much more stringent than in Ontario.

Argument still stands though. 100 km/h is a rediculous speed limit for a highway in the city.

 

[jc100]

Yes, this is why they recognized my motorcycle license from Canada when I went to rent a motorcycle in Munich 1 week ago.

EDIT: The Autobahn does have portions that are limitless actually. No speed limit. The rest usually has a speed limit of 130 km/h. Yet, it's one of the safest roads in the world.

Try living there and then having to requalify for your licence under German rules which is also what you have to do here (requalify if you live in the country rather than just visit).

Lane discipline has a lot to do with how faster roads work successfuly. You can go faster more safely if you are skilled enough AND you have a reasonable expectance that drivers around you are skilled enough to cope with that. None of those conditions are frequently fulfilled in this country anywhere on the roads at any time. The "fast" lane in this country on a highway is just the "I'm parking my lardy *** here and not moving for anyone" lane. I actually had a recent driving student tell me their instructor told them it was safer to stay in that lane regardless as they don't have to move as often. See, if people moved over and kept that lane free for faster traffic and only for overtaking (pulling back in after the manoever)...we might actually have a fast lane.

 

[Macs]

To prove that their isn't a good reason why 100 km/h is the max speed limit on Ontario highways other than more revenue. And the licensing system in Germany isn't much more stringent than in Ontario.

Argument still stands though. 100 km/h is a rediculous speed limit for a highway in the city.

The reason was to get better fuel economy during a gas shortage. The current transportation minister has made it clear he won't look into changing the speed limits despite admitting he gets road raged at and passed doing 90-100 on the 400-series. There's nothing we can do really.

And even if they did get changed, The best we can hope for is a limit of 120km/h and STRICT enforcement on anything above that.

 

[shootingrubber]

Try living there and then having to requalify for your licence under German rules which is also what you have to do here (requalify if you live in the country rather than just visit).

Lane discipline has a lot to do with how faster roads work successfuly. You can go faster more safely if you are skilled enough AND you have a reasonable expectance that drivers around you are skilled enough to cope with that. None of those conditions are frequently fulfilled in this country anywhere on the roads at any time. The "fast" lane in this country on a highway is just the "I'm parking my lardy *** here and not moving for anyone" lane. I actually had a recent driving student tell me their instructor told them it was safer to stay in that lane regardless as they don't have to move as often. See, if people moved over and kept that lane free for faster traffic and only for overtaking (pulling back in after the manoever)...we might actually have a fast lane.

If you move there it is harder to get a German license, yes, but if you are born there it's not much different or harder than here. Not sure what you're trying to prove with your post.

Blame the training system here then. Don't say oh people suck at driving here so we must reduce speed limits. That's a rediculous argument.

 

[Macs]

If you move there it is harder to get a German license, yes, but if you are born there it's not much different or harder than here. Not sure what you're trying to prove with your post.

Blame the training system here then. Don't say oh people suck at driving here so we must reduce speed limits. That's a rediculous argument.

People do suck at driving here...specifically because of how easy our licensing system is. Did you know you can do the G1 test in 17 (I think) languages? If you can go to Germany and challenge and pass their test without any extra training I will hand you the keys to my Evo and Daytona.

 

[shootingrubber]

People do suck at driving here...specifically because of how easy our licensing system is. Did you know you can do the G1 test in 17 (I think) languages? If you can go to Germany and challenge and pass their test without any extra training I will hand you the keys to my Evo and Daytona.

I do agree that is rediculous. However, I thought some people sucked at driving when I rented a motorcyle overseas as well. It all comes down to perception.

 

[jc100]

If you move there it is harder to get a German license, yes, but if you are born there it's not much different or harder than here. Not sure what you're trying to prove with your post.

Blame the training system here then. Don't say oh people suck at driving here so we must reduce speed limits. That's a rediculous argument.

As pointed out above...not ridiculous. If there's a lot of ****tards behind the wheel then there's no sense letting those ****tards go faster. Solution: weed out the ****tards first.

Answer: not currently going to happen hence limit stays at lowest common denominator level.

 

[shootingrubber]

As pointed out above...not ridiculous. If there's a lot of ****tards behind the wheel then there's no sense letting those ****tards go faster. Solution: weed out the ****tards first.

Answer: not currently going to happen hence limit stays at lowest common denominator level.

I know that's not going to happen, but it should happen, which is exactly my point.

 

[jc100]

I do agree that is rediculous. However, I thought some people sucked at driving when I rented a motorcyle overseas as well. It all comes down to perception.

Perception vs reality:

I've lived here for many years and lived in the UK and France for many years. Driving in every country. I've seen more accidents in Canada than any of those countries and observed much more frankly dangerous behaviour in cars here. The only thing I can put it down to is that there's many people that have absolutely no respect for the fact that what they are driving can kill other people or easily kill you if you don't take care and pay attention.

 

[Bigevildoer]

People do suck at driving here...specifically because of how easy our licensing system is. Did you know you can do the G1 test in 17 (I think) languages? If you can go to Germany and challenge and pass their test without any extra training I will hand you the keys to my Evo and Daytona.

Methinks I should fly to Germany and visit some family and accept your little challenge.....
Probably doesn't hurt that I've driven in Germany quite a few times and have spent months at a time there...

Might have a fancy Evo and Daytona coming my way...

But chances are they wouldn't even let me take the test as I'm not a citizen....

 

[shootingrubber]

Perception vs reality:

I've lived here for many years and lived in the UK and France for many years. Driving in every country. I've seen more accidents in Canada than any of those countries and observed much more frankly dangerous behaviour in cars here. The only thing I can put it down to is that there's many people that have absolutely no respect for the fact that what they are driving can kill other people or easily kill you if you don't take care and pay attention.

Oh, I completely agree with you there. There are much more idiots driving in Canada who shouldn't be than in some countries in Europe.

 

[nfq]

As pointed out above...not ridiculous. If there's a lot of ****tards behind the wheel then there's no sense letting those ****tards go faster. Solution: weed out the ****tards first.

Answer: not currently going to happen hence limit stays at lowest common denominator level.

How long before the limit gets lowered? Think of the children. THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

 

[jc100]

How long before the limit gets lowered? Think of the children. THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

That all depends on if the ****tards interbreed.

Edit: No...I am not advocating a mass eugenics experiment. Mind you...

 

[Macs]

Methinks I should fly to Germany and visit some family and accept your little challenge.....
Probably doesn't hurt that I've driven in Germany quite a few times and have spent months at a time there...

Might have a fancy Evo and Daytona coming my way...

But chances are they wouldn't even let me take the test as I'm not a citizen....

You don't count!! Offer only open to "shootingrubber"

As far as the Eugenics experiment...an example from my life:

I have a friend who was a pretty loose girl in high school, is now 19 and married to a 27 year old guy with 3 kids...both on welfare and co-op housing with no job in sight.

In contrast most well off happily married young people I know have zero desire for kids

 

[shootingrubber]

You don't count!! Offer only open to "shootingrubber"

As far as the Eugenics experiment...an example from my life:

I have a friend who was a pretty loose girl in high school, is now 19 and married to a 27 year old guy with 3 kids...both on welfare and co-op housing with no job in sight.

In contrast most well off happily married young people I know have zero desire for kids

LOL, I won't be able to take you up on your offer, but I have ridden in Austria and Germany and had a blast. Rode to the Alps. Had an awesome time.

 

[sid_for_speed]

I think it's "north America" in general...both the countries want some similarities to the way they handle traffic. Hence changing speed limits here will affect state side as well and I think...mind you ...I think....parties on both sides of the border made this decision unanimously

 

[Macs]

I think it's "north America" in general...both the countries want some similarities to the way they handle traffic. Hence changing speed limits here will affect state side as well and I think...mind you ...I think....parties on both sides of the border made this decision unanimously

MANY states are raising their speed limits. Texas has experimented up to 85mph on desert portions of the interstate

 

[Roomie]

MANY states are raising their speed limits. Texas has experimented up to 85mph on desert portions of the interstate

As they should. Ontario's speed is a joke and no matter where you are in north america, when you're out in the middle of nowhere on a highway no one is going 55mp/h or 100 km/h. Alberta for example is 110. Everyone cruises along at 120-125 and it's much smoother.

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