How dangerous is riding in the GTA?

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Riceburner said:
Living and working downtown would get a lot more then 6 months use of a scooter
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For a certain percentage of people who are willing to forego comfort and convenience in the name of savings, sure. For a lot of people who wouldn't fathom walking to the corner store in temperatures below 10 degrees and take the car with heated seats instead, they're not gonna ride 10 months of the year..and face it, there's a lot more people in the northern climes in the latter group, not the former. ;)
 
spankayf said:
The only reason I ride in the GTA is to leave it for someplace else.


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Draw a circle on a map of southern Ontario with the centre at city hall and a radius running through Barrie. Colour the stuff inside the circle brown. It's that ****y.

400 series are safer IMO than surface routes in that traffic is in one direction and there are no cross streets.

Downtown is likely safer than the burbs since the drivers are going slower as they dodge zombie texters, jay walkers, bicycles, Pokemon addicts etc.

The suburbs are likely the worse in that the low level of pedestrian and bicycle traffic lulls cagers into being less aware. It's OK to text and drive because the road is empty. yeah, right.
 
Furpo said:
I feel safer on a bike in the GTA than in a car. I know precisely where my vehicle is, I have better visibility, I am more alert and less distracted by passengers and the damn radio, I am far more nimble, I have space in my lane to move around in, I can more easily stay out of blind spots, I have more escape routes, and I can get ahead of other traffic more easily. Yes it's dangerous but with training, good gear, and constant focus you will be fine and have fun.

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This!
 
Next month I will be riding to Virginia for a tour of that area.
How bad and dangerous is traffic in the GTA?
I will be leaving at 5:30 AM.
Not to get there early but to get across the border before the gawdawful GTA drivers wake up.
 
Furpo said:
I feel safer on a bike in the GTA than in a car. I know precisely where my vehicle is, I have better visibility, I am more alert and less distracted by passengers and the damn radio, I am far more nimble, I have space in my lane to move around in, I can more easily stay out of blind spots, I have more escape routes, and I can get ahead of other traffic more easily. Yes it's dangerous but with training, good gear, and constant focus you will be fine and have fun.

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I don't know about "feeling safer on a bike than in a car"... More like you're more comfortable on a bike than in a car in regards to spacial awareness and personal distractions.

For me, I feel safer in the car when driving downtown, but prefer the bike because there is more space to move around and easier to see everything around you.

I would agree that it is more dangerous on a bike, but like you said, being aware and riding defensively helps a lot.
Riding aggressively downtown is just asking for it, whether it be pedestrians jaywalking, someone running a red light, or someone pulling a u-turn in front of you. If you just rely on the rules of the road and right-of-way, you would find yourself in a lot of bad situations.

statsman said:
Next month I will be riding to Virginia for a tour of that area.
How bad and dangerous is traffic in the GTA?
I will be leaving at 5:30 AM.
Not to get there early but to get across the border before the gawdawful GTA drivers wake up.
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You'll be fine as the bad drivers tend to come out around 7:30-8AM when they rush to work.
 
It's good to be a little bit nervous. That will help to keep you alert.

It isn't nearly as bad(yet) as I thought it would be. I took the M1 exit course the first chance I got, and I try to use what they taught me.

I start by assuming that most drivers don't actually *want* to kill me, it's just that they can't help themselves because they are selfish and they don't pay attention.

I try to stay where the other drivers can see me, and I try not to do anything unpredictable.
 
I've been driving/riding for 40+ years in QC, ON, BC, CA, NY, VT, NH, OH, VA, WV, PA, MA, CT, UK, etc.............. in other words, lots of different roads and communities. GTA drivers are some of the least competitent and most aggressive, careless, distracted etc...... drivers I've seen anywhere and it's getting worse, not better. My bike is parked at the cottage (15m from the 507 area) all summer, aside from US trips, and I avoid the GTA like the plague. I ride because I enjoy doing so and GTA traffic takes all the fun out of riding.
 
bobjohnson said:
How many close calls do you have when youre driving? If you have like 4 or 5 a week you are gonna be in for a bad time. I find people who say driving in the city is dangerous are terrible drivers, 0 awareness. If you arent paying attention while riding you are gonna get crunched. I can count the number of close calls I've had in 10 years on one hand, ones that werent caused by my own stupidity at least.

Stay out of the suburbs. Scarborough, markham, brampton, rexdale, mississauga, those are all **** places to ride. Either go far outside the city or stick to the core.
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I've had no real close calls in TO. I live in Mississauga, I'd rather ride out here then in TO anyday, most people here don't have a death wish or are completely oblivious to everything around them.
 
It's safe as long as you stay out of Brampton, Markham, Vaughan, Scarborough, Thornhill, Woodbridge, Maple, Brampton, Agincourt, Markham and Brampton.
 
PLau said:
I don't know about "feeling safer on a bike than in a car"... More like you're more comfortable on a bike than in a car in regards to spacial awareness and personal distractions.

For me, I feel safer in the car when driving downtown, but prefer the bike because there is more space to move around and easier to see everything around you.

I would agree that it is more dangerous on a bike, but like you said, being aware and riding defensively helps a lot.
Riding aggressively downtown is just asking for it, whether it be pedestrians jaywalking, someone running a red light, or someone pulling a u-turn in front of you. If you just rely on the rules of the road and right-of-way, you would find yourself in a lot of bad situations.



You'll be fine as the bad drivers tend to come out around 7:30-8AM when they rush to work.
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Okay, it's a push. Let's say "I feel much less likely to get in an accident on a bike", with the caveat that should one occur I sure hope it's in the family Kia and not on two wheels. Also, being aware of the damage I could cause with a car makes it a little stressful, plus the profound dislike of being stuck in a car . So I might not feel safer but I feel a damn site better on my bike.
 
zheka130 said:
Guys

Just got my M1 and in the process of buying a 1990 Honda VTR250.

Was hesitant about bikes for some time, since city traffic is pretty heavy, but thought I'd give it a try. Not planning to use it for commuting or anything like that.
I do have some minor riding experience, as I borrowed on a few occasions my brother's Rebel, and rode it without insurance or license, being careful though.

So the question, how safe or unsafe do you feel on Toronto streets, assuming defensive riding ?
Do you often encounter situations where drivers do not see you and merge into you?
Some advice for a novice perhaps?

And lastly, where can you get motorcycle gear at reasonable prices?

Thanks
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Question 1:
It's relative, some days it feels like you're on a battlefield, other days it's a walk in the park. Comes down to the time of choice you choose to ride, evenings are usually clear and weekends aren't so bad during early daytime. Worst time to be out is rush hour and when you anticipate traffic to build up (the afternoon of a weekend). More cars on the road = more chances of something happening/margin for error et cetra.

But overall I feel safe because I've been riding for a while. You might not feel safe, on the other hand.

Question 2:
Try ironpony.com

I also hear Royal Distributing is a good place to buy decent gear. Though it's all the way in Pickering.

You can also look for used gear on kijiji/CL/FB/This Forum

I don't think I'm qualified to give any advice, ask your school instructors if you plan on going to a riding school, they've been teaching newbies for years.
 
Evol said:
Question 1:
It's relative, some days it feels like you're on a battlefield, other days it's a walk in the park. Comes down to the time of choice you choose to ride, evenings are usually clear and weekends aren't so bad during early daytime. Worst time to be out is rush hour and when you anticipate traffic to build up (the afternoon of a weekend). More cars on the road = more chances of something happening/margin for error et cetra.

But overall I feel safe because I've been riding for a while. You might not feel safe, on the other hand.

Question 2:
Try ironpony.com

I also hear Royal Distributing is a good place to buy decent gear. Though it's all the way in Pickering.

You can also look for used gear on kijiji/CL/FB/This Forum

I don't think I'm qualified to give any advice, ask your school instructors if you plan on going to a riding school, they've been teaching newbies for years.
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Great, thanks!

Yes, planning to take the RTI safety course end of September.

I am planning to ride for fun, thus no rush hour trips, just those off-peak hours, particularly until I feel comfortable.
Got my BMW for those rush hour days :)
 
Guys, question regarding motorcycle jackets:

Is leather the only way to go? I saw some "textile" bright green jackets in one store for $170.

Thoughts on these?
 
matthew said:
I work in Brampton. I'm lucky to make it out alive on some days.
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spankayf said:
The only safe way in and out of Brampton is the GO Train


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Got to agree with this...been through there earlier this year...Brampton has really changed.
I was also told that their car insurance rates are higher than places in the 416.

Once again, we allow the problem to grow and get out of control.
Brampton will soon be it's own country.:D
 
Another thing to consider in terms of traffic in the city is; did a sporting event just end? Did the CNE just close for then night? The flood of people that pour onto the roads during those moments create a bit of frustration in some drivers which could put a newer rider at risk for not being able to detect the knee jerk reactions from extremely impatient people. The roads will be jammed up for about 30mins to an hour after any larg-ish event ends.

I usually have to avoid at least 1 person trying to merge into me while doing my downtown treks.. nothing else of note has happened thankfully.
 
mudmojo said:
- have as many fingers as possible on the bars to steer
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statsman said:
Next month I will be riding to Virginia for a tour of that area.
How bad and dangerous is traffic in the GTA?
I will be leaving at 5:30 AM.
Not to get there early but to get across the border before the gawdawful GTA drivers wake up.
Click to expand...

we dont sleep so you are better off avoiding us altogether, cross at Kingston
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