A recent study has revealed that Ontario’s driving test revamp, implemented in January 2022, has triggered an increase in accidents among novice drivers. The overhaul of Ontario’s G driving test was aimed at tackling a backlog of drivers awaiting their test—a result of COVID-19 lockdowns. Meanwhile, the changes have been connected to a significant increase in at-fault collision rates among new drivers.
The modifications to the driving test were effected without formal safety appraisals or cabinet approval and eliminated key manoeuvres like emergency stops, three-point turns, parallel parking, and driving in residential areas. The Auditor General of Ontario’s report slammed the absence of safety evaluations in these alterations.
Ministry of Transportation’s post-change assessments revealed a 30 percent increase in at-fault collision rates among drivers that passed the revised test as opposed to the drivers who cleared the full test. MyChoice, an insurance aggregator, carried out a comparative study between two groups of drivers, those licensed in 2022 with at least one year driving experience and those licensed in 2021. The investigation revealed an overall 7.82 percent increase in the percentage of novice drivers engaged in accidents post-test changes.
The CEO of MyChoice has stated that the test changes while tackling backlog problems, might have affected driving proficiency. This could potentially lead to increasing car insurance costs for Ontarians. Despite the discoveries of the study and the subsequent increase in collision rates, the government of Ontario has decided to retain the updated test format, citing the continuing high demand for class G road tests.
