Toronto, Ontario — According to a recent study made by insurance comparison website, MyChoice, the 2022 changes to Ontario’s G license driving test has resulted in a 7.8 percent rise in accidents among new drivers.
In January 2022, Ontario first introduced significant alterations to the G road test in a move aimed at addressing the backlog of drivers waiting for their test as a result of pandemic restrictions.
These changes, made without formal safety evaluations or cabinet approval, involved removing elements from the test deemed duplicative such as emergency stops, three-point turns, parallel parking and driving in residential areas.
Two years after these changes were first enacted, MyChoice has conducted a study involving 4,800 Ontario G-licensed drivers to see the long term impacts on driving safety.
The company has specifically compared two groups of drivers: those who got their license at any point in 2022 with at least one year of driving experience; and those who got their license at any point in 2021 with at least one year of driving experience.
For each category in the study, 2,400 drivers were randomly selected from overall quotes completed on the MyChoice website. Here, the company specifically focused on the percentage of drivers involved in accidents for each period.
Initial findings reveal that after the test changes, the percentage of novice drivers involved in accidents increased from 9.59 percent to 10.34 percent, an overall increase of 7.82 percent.
According to Aren Mirzaian, CEO of MyChoice, “the increase in accident rates among new drivers after the test changes in our samples is a matter of concern. It indicates that while the test changes addressed the backlog issue, they may have inadvertently compromised certain aspects of driving proficiency.”
“While it’s essential to streamline processes, especially in unprecedented times like a pandemic,” Mirzaian further noted, “our study underscores the necessity of thorough driver training and testing. A rise in accidents will undoubtedly have an impact on insurance rates as overall claims amounts rise. This, unfortunately, may result in higher car insurance costs for the public in Ontario.”
