Having a car in Canada

Having a car in Canada demands a few considerations

Here are some to think about when it comes to driving itself:

  1. Canadians drive on the right side of the road and cars are left hand drive.
  2. HK driving licenses are not recognized in Canada - a big shame... Japan's driving licenses are (and they are right hand drives, based on the same British system)... same for Australians. Well, the reason is more political in the sense that Japan & Australia have reciprocal agreements that HK does not have with Canada... So, you'd have to learn to drive again in Canada and understand the traffic code and all the local regulations.
  3. The biggest car in HK is probably an SUV. Here in Canada, you got pick up trucks which are about 25 bigger than the average SUV... and they are close enough to a minivan in terms of size and power. It's important to be extra cautious.
  4. Did you know you can go turn right at a red light if it's safe  (no prohibitory road signs, no pedestrians where you are turning into, no cars coming from the left - you must give way to them) to do so? 
  5. Strange signs you don't see in HK..., eg moose crossing, deer crossing, wild animals crossing...
And in terms of the car and its maintenance:
  1. Auto insurance
  2. Fuel costs
  3. Servicing costs
  4. Having 'all seasons' and also 'snow' tires
  5. license and registration fees which need to be renewed
Depending on your province in Canada, you can expect to pay around $500 a month for that car, where the biggest contributors are the auto insurance, car repayments and servicing. You can save on parking and gas, while bundling your auto insurance with your home insurance may make you eligible for a discount (more info here). 
Photo courtesy of ratehub.ca







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