Saskatchewan last week became the last province to implement a graduated licence program for new drivers.
Maynard Sonntag, minister responsible for Saskatchewan Government Insurance, said the changes were being made to reduce accidents and injuries.
Although new drivers make up nine percent of the driving population, they account for 21 percent of all accidents. A probationary licensing system, introduced in 1996, has not resulted in a significant reduction in accidents.
“Graduated licence programs work to save lives and prevent injuries,” Sonntag said. “Saskatchewan is following the lead of other provinces, and is relying on their experiences to make our program that much more effective.”
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As of Sept. 1, new drivers will have to pass through three stages to become fully qualified: learner, novice 1 and novice 2. At each stage the restrictions placed on drivers will be reduced.
New drivers and 15-year-old high school students will still begin by obtaining a learner’s licence, but will hold that licence for nine months instead of six as at present.
Restrictions include having a supervising driver in the front passenger seat at all times, and having only immediate family members as passengers between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m.
After passing a road test, drivers will obtain a Class 5 novice 1 licence. Restrictions at this level include allowing only one passenger in the vehicle who is not an immediate family member.
After six months, drivers will move to the novice 2 level, providing their driving records are clean. They remain at this level for at least one year, but as with fully licenced drivers, can only have as many passengers as there are seat belts.
These novice 2 drivers cannot be supervising others at the learner’s licence level.
Novice 2 drivers also cannot have any at-fault collisions, convictions or suspensions. If one of these occurs they have to restart the 12-month period; drivers could remain at this level indefinitely.
Otherwise, they graduate to an experienced Class 5 licence after 12 months.
Under this system, drivers could be considered experienced sooner than those in the probationary system.
The Saskatchewan government had received recommendations to change to a graduated system almost three years ago, but decided to take more time to evaluate the probationary system, Sonntag said. The only Canadian jurisdictions not to have graduated systems are Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
