Opinion: can we learn from Canada's approach to road safety?
Michael joined Which? in 2017 and is the senior researcher on the Cars team. He’s passionate about improving safety and fairness for all road users — from drivers to pedestrians.
I’ve spent about six weeks driving in the Canadian city of Calgary this year, and while it would be factually incorrect to say North America has superior road safety policies to our own, there are some novel road features and laws that might be worth adopting here in the UK.
This article first appeared in the September issue of Which? Magazine.
Roundabout clarity
Roundabouts, those very European things, are gradually being added to roads in parts of Canada.
These are surprisingly effective: you have to commit to your lane before you enter the roundabout, and signage is fantastically unambiguous on what lane goes where.
Instead of worn out paint on the ground and the constant danger of a blind-spot collision, Canadian roundabouts offer a much more serene experience.
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School and playground zones
Another big thing is speed.
Calgary has permanent school and playground zones with a reduced speed limit at certain times of day. I like that these place a moral obligation on drivers by giving a reason for the speed limit. You’d feel really silly getting fined in a clearly marked playground zone.
This differs to the UK, where signs regarding playgrounds aren't tied to the speed limit; they tend to act as information. In Canada, the speed limit is timed specifically for when children are likely to be present, and the speed sign and playground sign are one and the same.
Similarly, speeding fines double in construction zones, and when passing any stopped vehicle with flashing lights you must either move over a lane or slow down to 60kph (37mph) or cop a hefty fine.
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A backwards step?
But it’s not a utopia. The Alberta provincial government recently removed all its speed cameras due to claims they were ‘cash cows’ and local governments can only re-add them in specific danger zones.
This might sound ideal to some, but the numbers suggest otherwise: 2025 was the worst for road deaths in Calgary in more than a decade.
Maybe there’s a lesson there, too.