Fender Bender

In Ottawa, a sure sign of spring is the number of convertibles and fancy cars you spot on the road. It’s also hearing the police and fire sirens, and seeing the paramedics zigzagging in the traffic.

For some reason, there seem to be more car accidents during spring and summer—strange, considering the weather conditions are much better than in the winter.

Canadians are great drivers when the roads are snowy or icy. A few years ago, when merging onto the freeway on a cold icy night, the car skidded across the four-lane of the 417. It must have happened really fast but I will always remember us skidding slowly across the lanes, Feng swearing, me screaming and the other cars dodging us. We eventually hit a snow bank and stopped on the side of the road, both unhurt. The fact that Feng was driving slowly in the first place probably saved us, and fortunately, the other drivers were as careful and skilled otherwise they would have rammed into us.

But during the summer, people go crazy. They drive too fast, drink too much and run red lights. Consequences are often more dramatic than this little fender bender I snapped at Dow’s Lake.

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8 Comments

  1. Cynthia June 10, 2011 at 1:46 pm

    I don’t drive in France because it scares me to death to have the motos zig-zaging between lanes and people are often running the red light 🙁

    Reply
    1. Zhu June 10, 2011 at 9:20 pm

      French aren’t great drivers… and the roads, especially the rond-points, drive me crazy. Driving is easier in Canada with straight roads! Now, I know, there is the pothole and construction issue… 😆

      Reply
  2. Neeraj June 11, 2011 at 12:25 am

    Who do you think are better drivers? Men or women? 😛

    Reply
    1. Zhu June 11, 2011 at 10:41 pm

      I know I’m not a great driver… but I also know it’s NOT because I’m a woman! 😆

      Reply
  3. Jeruen June 11, 2011 at 6:16 pm

    I knew it! I’ve always been saying this, but Canadians drive really fast!

    Reply
    1. Zhu June 11, 2011 at 10:43 pm

      They are still better drivers than French, trust me! 😉

      Reply
      1. Em June 12, 2011 at 3:46 pm

        I don’t like the way French drive, but then I think Irish are terrible at driving. Probably because for many years they could be on the road without a full driving license…

        Reply
        1. Zhu June 13, 2011 at 7:35 pm

          Canadians have graduate licensing too but they are still better drivers than the French. Mind you, minus the potholes and the ice/snow, roads are better too.

          Reply

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