This season has been terrible for motorcyclists

[hymnz]

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This has been my observation all around staring March. The traffic is worse that last year when I started riding in Canada.

Time and again I have dealt with tailgaters. Just the other day a pickup truck was trying to overtake me and even entered space while I was on a ramp at Hurontario getting onto 401. People cannot anticipate the distance in front or rear of them and start speeding/braking erratically. Changing lanes without signals at the last moment. I've "seen it all" in India but still I had a jump scare a few times because someone was in a hurry or on their phones. I was once standing right beside a car at the signal and the old man in it came into my almost immediately as the traffic started moving.

Adding to it are all the posts in the fallen riders thread. This is a really sad, depressing and scary season all over.

 

[Relax]

While I've seen some more "interesting" driving behaviour lately, it's nothing that causes me any more concern now than when I first started riding. With good situational awareness and strategic positioning, nothing they do should surprise you (short of an oncoming car in your lane around a blind corner). Any other time I've been taken by surprise, I realized I wasn't paying attention.

 

[Mad Mike]

As a ride, I don't notice any differences in driving the GTA year over year - it's about as scary as it gets in North America - has been for 20+ years.

I have noticed more MC riders behaving badly. At 10:30this morning I was crawling westbound on the 401 at the 427, a bagger passed me at full tilt, he was running the right shoulder of the 401. Tonight I saw Valentino Rossi heading south on the 404, he passed me at about 200+ on a red SS.

This year Ive seen really bad motorcycling at least once a week.

 

[sburns]

Stay off the highway, especially close to the GTA, anywhere else is much better and less traffic, you'll enjoy riding much more.

 

[Relax]

I have noticed more MC riders behaving badly. At 10:30this morning I was crawling westbound on the 401 at the 427, a bagger passed me at full tilt, he was running the right shoulder of the 401. Tonight I saw Valentino Rossi heading south on the 404, he passed me at about 200+ on a red SS.

This year Ive seen really bad motorcycling at least once a week.

Even this type of riding I've seen in the past. Before HTA 172, 200+ was no big deal, and riding on the shoulders was a biker's "privilege". But these days I do notice lane splitting more often, and while riding I've actually been passed in my own lane by another rider doing Mach 1 more than once!

 

[hymnz]

Stay off the highway

The worst roads are the east-west Peel region highways (Steels, Britannia, Derry etc) where the speed limits are 80 with zero enforcement. Everyone wants to fly on them.

 

[Mad Mike]

The worst roads are the east-west Peel region highways (Steels, Britannia, Derry etc) where the speed limits are 80 with zero enforcement. Everyone wants to fly on them.

Not my turf.

The worst I see is southbound 404 in the afternoon. Not unusual to see lane splitting and weaving thru traffic at speeds of 180+.

Despite regular OPP patrols of that stretch, I've never seen them pull out after a bike.

 

[xrljoel]

As a ride, I don't notice any differences in driving the GTA year over year - it's about as scary as it gets in North America - has been for 20+ years.

I have noticed more MC riders behaving badly. At 10:30this morning I was crawling westbound on the 401 at the 427, a bagger passed me at full tilt, he was running the right shoulder of the 401. Tonight I saw Valentino Rossi heading south on the 404, he passed me at about 200+ on a red SS.

This year Ive seen really bad motorcycling at least once a week.

Me too.
I've noticed more screeching sport bikes lately than usual, but I'm starting to wonder if it's the same idiots time after time.

They pin it along HWY. 2 screaming through a short valley and come up a rise to a moderate hill. What they don't seem to care about are the numerous residential driveways and more importantly the farm field driveways or obstructed sightlines the change in elevation create.

Farm equipment has grown over the years and it is now common to find an agricultural vehicle that takes up 2/3 of the entire road. Adding to that, in our area there has been exponential expansion in the number of farms producing asian vegetables for export on a MASSIVE scale. They operate from sun up to midnight or later, with equipment, truckloads of product and vans of workers travelling between farms.

Every time I hear some moron winding it up on Hwy. 2, I wonder if today's the day they tangles with a tractor-implement combination and die, because it will happen.

 

[timtune]

Not to mention it's rare to pass a farm wagon or implement with working signals.

 

[sburns]

The worst roads are the east-west Peel region highways (Steels, Britannia, Derry etc) where the speed limits are 80 with zero enforcement. Everyone wants to fly on them.

Sounds like North Mississauga and Brampton, there are reasons why riders/drivers avoid those areas.
Derry is full of big trucks, also avoid.

I dunno if this is your local area, where you live, but try looking for alternative roads, side streets etc. Sometimes you'll surprise yourself what you can find if you just look instead of just taking the typical roads.

 

[hymnz]

Sounds like North Mississauga and Brampton, there are reasons why riders/drivers avoid those areas.
Derry is full of big trucks, also avoid.

I dunno if this is your local area, where you live, but try looking for alternative roads, side streets etc. Sometimes you'll surprise yourself what you can find if you just look instead of just taking the typical roads.

I live in the west end of Mississauga and anytime I meet my friends I have to take these roads if not 401-403-427. It sometimes becomes so overwhelming that I U-turn and head back home.

 

[LePhillou]

So i used to commute 5 days a week to downtown toronto. I never touch the go train from april to november, so its a mix of cycling and motorcycling. Luckily i can add a couple days of work from home now so im wasting less time.
I have personally noticed more erratic behaviour on my route(s). And traffic has gotten worse.. and that gardiner repair/closure is "the worst". But as i say this, i realize that i've grown accustomed to this level of crappy driving as we have to adapt as vulnerable road users So it doesnt bother me as much, but i've definitely noticed MORE lane splitters while commuting LESS to work lol.
Driver behaviour is more aggressive or maybe there are just more drivers on the road which increases the number of aggressive drivers proportionally?

 

[xrljoel]

Not to mention it's rare to pass a farm wagon or implement with working signals.

The tractors all have them and around here they use them on the road. The implements/loads they pull don't have them and sometimes obscure those on the tractor.

Besides, hazard lights aren't going to make any difference when a doofus on his "Gixer" going 160kph meets a wagonload of bok choi, or the ditch if he manages to swerve into it in time.

 

[Jampy00]

I question those that say they have not noticed any changes in traffic (volume, behavior etc.)
I would believe that if 100 driver/riders were asked if our traffic situation has declined over the years, 99 would say yes and 1 would be lying.
Tickets, suspensions etc. do nothing to sway the behavior we see on the roads today add in the fact that there are 1000's of new and/or poorly trained drivers/riders on the road. It is a something that will only continue to worsen unless drastic measures are taken (which will be near impossible).

 

[timtune]

and sometimes obscure those on the tractor.

I live in farm country and I would change that to often.

 

[sburns]

Oh don't get me wrong, traffic congestion and driver behaviour has gotten worse. But if you have a choice to avoid it outside of normal everyday commuting why not try whatever alternatives there are.

For me to go west of Toronto is almost an impossible task. Both the west bound Gardiner and parts of Lakeshore are under construction. Plus in the city you have ongoing complete road closures. It's madness no wonder people are losing their chit.

On top of that West bound 401 is also under construction with reduced lanes starting at Aveune rd, which backs everything up to DVP.
So I just try to avoid it whenever possible.

I don't understand how they thought this was a good idea doing this work all at the same time.

Anyhow doesn't make driver responses justified, it means you have to be more aware of the next level of stupid.

 

[LePhillou]

I question those that say they have not noticed any changes in traffic (volume, behavior etc.)
I would believe that if 100 driver/riders were asked if our traffic situation has declined over the years, 99 would say yes and 1 would be lying.
Tickets, suspensions etc. do nothing to sway the behavior we see on the roads today add in the fact that there are 1000's of new and/or poorly trained drivers/riders on the road. It is a something that will only continue to worsen unless drastic measures are taken (which will be near impossible).

over the past decade of commuting has changed
our population growth rate in ontario has increased a bunch


our non-permanent residents have tripled, so these are drivers getting used to our driving customs in ontario


And GTA has one of the bigger rates of population growth in terms of metropolitan areas in north America with very little changes to our infrastructure to accomodate

so even if there isn't a higher "concentration" of bad drivers, there would be more overall bad drivers even with the same proportions. And more of them are stuck in traffic with us lol

 

[matthew]

I'll try to be polite, so bear with me.

You seem to have a lot of issues while riding on a 400 series highway.

Two examples:

My trip across 403, 401, 427, Gardiner and Queen's.

Riding is an activity that clears my head when I have a rough day at work. Today was such a day and I decided to take a longer route. The plan was to get on to 403 at Hurantario then get on to 401 to 427, shop some at Ikea, get on to Gardiner and Queen's and get home. It's not the first time I...

www.gtamotorcycle.com

Almost had a crash today on the 401. How should I prepare?

I have started driving on the 401 recently up & down to work daily. Everything has been good. Merging, windblast, big trucks etc., all good. I have learned to anticipate traffic movement by keeping an eye on the 4th/5th vehicle ahead. This has helped avoid major crashes over the years by...

www.gtamotorcycle.com

Perhaps you should reconsider riding on the highway until you get more experience. If you have a car, you should use it, or take city streets instead.

 

[Jampy00]

our non-permanent residents have tripled, so these are drivers getting used to our driving customs in ontario

No they won't.

 

[hymnz]

I'll try to be polite, so bear with me.

You seem to have a lot of issues while riding on a 400 series highway.

Two examples:

My trip across 403, 401, 427, Gardiner and Queen's.

Riding is an activity that clears my head when I have a rough day at work. Today was such a day and I decided to take a longer route. The plan was to get on to 403 at Hurantario then get on to 401 to 427, shop some at Ikea, get on to Gardiner and Queen's and get home. It's not the first time I...

www.gtamotorcycle.com

Almost had a crash today on the 401. How should I prepare?

I have started driving on the 401 recently up & down to work daily. Everything has been good. Merging, windblast, big trucks etc., all good. I have learned to anticipate traffic movement by keeping an eye on the 4th/5th vehicle ahead. This has helped avoid major crashes over the years by...

www.gtamotorcycle.com

Perhaps you should reconsider riding on the highway until you get more experience. If you have a car, you should use it, or take city streets instead.

Completely understand your point- although to my defense the second post you mentioned happened when I was less than 2 months new to riding in Canada and I took driving to be generally good for granted. And I personally feel mindful riding on highways is much safer than city streets in Mississauga- fewer chances of being blind sided.

I'd like to highlight that I ride expecting the cars around me to do something erratic- hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

However, this has been my observation on the same roads I have been riding year long that off late more drivers have become agressive and impatient. I've seen car drivers willingly put themselves in crash situations just so that can show the other driver a finger or rush through pedestrians at a crossing. 1 year ago, there were fewer instances like this.

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