Ontario changes G road test rules and here's what you need to know
The Ontario government is temporarily removing elements of the G road test in order to increase the number of appointments that can be made each day.
A spokesperson for the Minister of Transportation said in a statement the change is being made in an effort to clear the backlog of road tests created by COVID-19 restrictions.
“In light of the increased demand for class G road tests, DriveTest is modifying the G road test to offer more road test appointments each day while removing duplicative elements from the G2 test,” Dakota Brasier said. “The G2 road test remains unchanged.”
The province said that "duplicative" manoeuvres, such as road-side stops, 3 point turns and parallel parking -- all of which are included in the G2 test -- will be temporarily paused.
According to the government, highway and major road driving will still be evaluated.
“This will allow for more streamlined tests while continuing to evaluate driver skills alongside new skills such as highway driving requirements,” Brasier said, adding that the modified version of the test still meets national standards.
While the changes will allow driving centres to conduct 30 per cent more tests per day, according to the government, the president and CEO of the Ontario Safety League, an organization founded to reduce preventable deaths and injuries on the road, says it isn’t worth the potential ramifications on the streets.
“It's being driven by the backlog, [it] is being driven by, I would think, daily complaints to every MPP about the backlog, but at the end of the day, training drivers is a lifetime skill and evaluating them to a reasonable standard is an expectation of all Ontarians. And we're not meeting that with this change,” Brian Patterson told CTV News Toronto.
“The people who are substandard drivers and wouldn't have passed under the regular regime have a chance of sneaking through now.”
According to Patterson, the new tests will include significantly fewer right and left hand turns, very little residential driving, and fewer road stops at intersections. And once an individual passes their “G” road test, they don’t have to be re-evaluated until they are around 80 years old.
“It has been tested, tried and true, for 25 years,” Patterson said of the traditional road test. “It's consistent with testing in [and] across the provinces, generally. I'm not aware of a single jurisdiction in the world that has a 15 minute in-vehicle test.”
“I never exaggerate, but this is one of those scenarios where significant property damage can occur. Significant personal injury can occur.”
The changes are temporary and will be in effect until at least March 31. However, Brasier noted that the ministry can extend that date if necessary.
As of early December, the Ministry of Transportation said that at least 421,827 drive tests have been cancelled since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
The backlog has also led people to use social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Instagram and Kijiji to sell road test appointments for a fee.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.