The Eby ministry has introduced legislation to change the graduated licensing programs to a more simple and accessible process.
“These changes are intended to improve road safety for new drivers and motorcyclists by ensuring they gain more on-road experience, and improve licensing accessibility by addressing barriers experienced by Indigenous and rural and remote communities,” stated Garry Begg, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “By removing unnecessary barriers for new drivers and strengthening safety measures for new riders, we’re making the licensing system more accessible, while helping to reduce serious injuries and fatalities on our roads.”
If approved, the changes will update the Graduated Licensing Program (GLP) to remove the requirement for a second road test to obtain a Class 5 licence. Instead, for those drivers eligible to move to a Class 5 licence, government will be creating a new 12-month restriction period, during which they must demonstrate safe driving behaviour to progress.
The Province’s reasoning stems from research that indicates that age and inexperience contribute to crash risk. As new drivers get more experience, their crash risk decreases. The evidence shows that having an extended period with restrictions and enhanced driver-record reviews builds the necessary skills and behaviours to promote safe driving. The changes remove requirements not proven to increase road safety, which will reduce wait times for those seeking a road test to earn their Novice (Class 7) licence.
The proposed legislative changes will also establish a new Motorcyclist Licensing Program (MLP) that all new motorcycle riders will need to complete. The new MLP will also have a restriction period and enhanced safety measure requirements for protective gear, which will be established through regulations. The Province hopes that these changes will help reduce fatalities and serious injuries resulting from motorcycle-related crashes.
A full list of all GLP and MLP changes are available on the B.C. government’s website.