22% Increased Collision Rate for Brampton Drivers Who Took Test Beyond City Boundaries: Report

This information is derived from a recent report by the Auditor General, revealing that new drivers from urban regions who take road tests in rural or suburban centers exhibit elevated collision rates. This suggests a potential deficiency in Ontario’s driver examination program in effectively assessing their ability to drive safely on the province’s roads.

According to the report, in Brampton, novice drivers who underwent road tests at a DriveTest Centre outside the city between January 2022 and March 2023 had a collision rate 22% higher than their counterparts who took tests in Brampton—3.8% and 3.1%, respectively.

The trend of drivers opting for tests outside their local area was so prevalent that a DriveTest Centre in Guelph served more clients from Brampton than Guelph itself. In 2022, the Guelph center conducted over 56,000 road tests, surpassing the approximately 49,000 tests carried out at the Brampton DriveTest Centre. The report characterized this as a “disproportionately high number” given Guelph’s population is around one-fifth the size of Brampton.

In Orangeville, the data was even more skewed, with 42% of drivers taking road tests originating from Brampton, while only 2% were from Orangeville.

The report highlighted that collision rates within 15 months after obtaining a driver’s license were between 16% and 27% higher among novice drivers from urban areas who traveled to more rural or suburban locations for their road tests.

Out of the 95,650 Brampton drivers who passed road tests from January 2022 to March 2023, only 23,337 took their tests in Brampton, debunking rumors and social media claims that obtaining a license in Brampton is easier. The report revealed that rural centers often have less complex road test routes and higher pass rates.

Furthermore, the report disclosed that DriveTest Centres in urban areas like Brampton, Mississauga, and Toronto had lower pass rates compared to those in rural or suburban areas such as Peterborough, Lindsay, and Simcoe.

These findings have prompted recommendations for the Ministry of Transportation to evaluate the impact of novice drivers from urban areas taking their road tests in rural or suburban DriveTest Centres on road safety. The report suggests implementing restrictions that prevent urban novice drivers from conducting tests outside their local area of residence, work, or study.

Parvasi Media Group