“This person was stopped in the left lane with both their passenger side doors open…”
Canadian resident and Redditor /u/Zacw94 uploaded dashcam footage from an incident earlier this weekend (Mar 4, 2023) to the /r/IdiotsInCars subreddit showing a car completely stopped in the fast lane of Highway 11 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
The driver must’ve thought this is normal driving behavior because, despite cars whizzing by him at highway speeds (OP was driving at around 56 MPH) you could see the driver nonchalantly getting something from the rear passenger compartment with passenger doors wide open.
Check out his dashcam footage below.
As mentioned, the incident happened on on the Louis Riel Highway (aka Highway 11) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan close to 51st st (exact location on Google Maps linked here.)
While it’s never a good idea to stop in the middle of a highway, some cars just…die, making pulling to the side safely impossible.
With exhaust gases visible out the tailpipe in this video (the car is on,) this case, however, is not that.
It doesn’t look like an emergency situation at all, the driver likely thinks this is A-OK, and something regular drivers.
While all drivers should pay 100 percent attention at all times behind the wheel, it’s safe to say they don’t expect to come across cars randomly stopped on the road.
Cars, not to mention heavier semis, need time and distance to react and stop, two things that makes it nearly impossible for them to do if they come across a stopped vehicle like this one.
A randomly stopped car can cause a driver to dangerously swerve out of the way, or worse, collide with the stopped car.
While I couldn’t find a specific Canadian law prohibiting stopping on a highway, it arguably falls under Careless Driving which violating is subject to a fine between $400-$2000 or six months in prison plus six points on your driving record.
If your Careless Driving involves an injury or death, not only do you get a larger fine and those six points, prison is mandatory up to two years.
It’s one thing if your car dies in the middle of the highway, but to just stop for no good reason is inviting an accident, which can lead to injury or worse.
