Ontario drivers with a Class G1 licence must practice with a qualified accompanying driver. Your accompanying driver must be the only person in the front seat with you at all times while driving.
An accompanying driver has an important role to play in the driver licensing process. Your accompanying driver should be:
- Someone you know really well or a certified driving instructor.
- An experienced driver, with a good driving record and at least four years of driving experience.
- Fully licensed with a Class G licence that is used regularly.
- A clear communicator who can give directions and provide driving tips without distracting you from the road.
- Familiar with the contents of the Ontario Official Driver’s Handbook.
- Familiar with the streets and routes you will be taking to ensure you aren’t taking a route too advanced for your skills.
It is important that you have a good relationship and understand – and agree to – one another’s roles. Accompanying drivers should help you to:
- Learn about the vehicle you are driving and explore the controls (learn where they are and what they do). Accompanying drivers will provide information about the brakes, steering, transmission, lights and turn signals, tire inflation, wipers, heater, and defroster, for example.
- Plan a reasonable route and talk about the driving tasks you’ll face—the kinds of turns, the type of traffic, road conditions, parking at the destination, and so on.
- Develop your skills, remind you about the rules of the road, teach you about driver etiquette and courtesy, and warn you about dangers you may not see.
- Embrace responsible, safe driving techniques and, if necessary, stop others from distracting you. Their blood alcohol concentration must be less than the legal suspension limit of .05 percent blood alcohol.
- Judge when conditions are too advanced for your skills. For example, your accompanying driver should take the wheel on a 400-series highway with a posted speed limit greater than 80 km/h, or if a trip continues after midnight or weather conditions deteriorate.