Ontario to End Age-based Testing of Senior Class A Drivers

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has finally changed its policy on road testing senior commercial drivers. The changes certainly are an improvement, but they aren't exactly what we were urging the Minister to do. Overall, OBAC is happy with the changes, but we are questioning the ministry's thinking on at least two of the changes.

In a nutshell, here is what has changed in MTO's Senior Commercial Driver Licence Renewal Program for drivers 65-79 years old:

1) As of April 1, 2013, drivers aged 65 and older will no longer automatically be required to take a road test when going through the annual renewal of their Class A licences. Driver will be required to do the road test only if they have had an at-fault collision or the accumulation of 3 demerit points in the previous 12 months.

2) Unless a road test is required, the written test has been changed from annually to every five years.

3) The written air brake test cycle will be aligned with the written knowledge test and a practical air brake test will only be required when a road test is required.

4) These requirements will now extend to Class D drivers as well.

5) Drivers in classes A, B and C who fail or fail to submit a medical report will be downgraded to a Class G (passenger car) licence rather than to a Class D licence.

Note: drivers aged 65 and older with Class A licences will still be required to submit a medical report annually. Currently, Class D drivers of any age are not required to submit medical reports.

OBAC is satisfied with the removal of the arbitrary requirement for an annual road test in lieu of "cause to test" requirement. However, we believe MTO's three-demerit-point trigger is a bit too restrictive. The Ministry’s stated objective was to identify and test drivers engaged in what it called “high-risk behaviour.” Given the range of offenses one might commit that would earn three demerit points -- some of them pretty innocuous -- it hardly constitutes risky behaviour. We would have liked to seen some consideration for a senior driver’s past record, which most likely spans several decades and millions of miles. 

We had also pushed to have all commercial drivers (Class A, B, C and D) submit an annual medical report at age 65 and beyond. We were disappointed that the ministry felt only Class A drivers are cause for such concern. After all, drivers of straight trucks and motorcoaches in this province are out on the same highways and driving very large vehicles. In the name of road safety, it seems reasonable that any driver of such vehicles in failing health poses an equal risk to others. 

We're also wondering if the ministry plans any sort of amnesty for Class A drivers who may have let their licence lapse rather than take the road test, or failed the test on some technicality. Many of these drivers would probably rather still be driving. We're currently in discussions with the ministry on this point. We'll let you know what the outcome is.

And finally, we're asking why we have to wait until April 2013 for an end to age-based testing. The ministry says it needs time to make changes to its information and technology systems. We would like to see an immediate moratorium on the testing, and let the ministry update its computers after the fact. There's no need we can see to continue the practice for another six months.

MTO has been doing age-based testing of Class A drivers since 1976, and OBAC began raising the issue with MTO back in 2005. A succession of ministers since then has refused to address the issue, so we commend Ontario's Minister of Transportation, Bob Chiarelli, for finally putting an end to the discriminatory practice, and giving the province's most experienced drivers their due.