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Warning! Is Your Driver's Licence Still Valid?
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In Ontario all new drivers, regardless of age, must complete a two level "Graduated Licencing" program before they qualify for
full licence privileges. These drivers have a maximum of five (5) years from the start date of their Level One licence to earn
full licence privilages. If they do not receive their Class G licence (full licence) within this 5 year period, they must reapply
and start the licencing process over again. According to information provided by the Ministry of Transportation, an estimated 125,000
Ontario drivers will see their Level One and Level Two licences automatically expire this year.
If you received your Level One or Level Two licence in 1994/95 and have not "graduated" to a Class G licence, your licence may have already
expired. This means that you could unwittingly end up driving without a licence. Not only is this against the law, but driving without a valid
a valid licence invalidates your insurance coverage. If this applies to you, call your nearest Ministry of Transportation Test Center to book your
appointment.
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The Vehicle Impound Program was introduced earlier this year as part of the provincial government's efforts to improve road safety.
Under the program, anyone caught driving with a suspended licence because of a criminal code conviction (impaired driving for example)
will have their vehicle impounded for 45 days for the first offence. Second and subsequent offences will result in the loss of their vehicle
for 90 day and 180 day periods respectively.
Please note: the vehicle will be impounded even if it is not the property of the driver. In other words, if you lend your vehicle to someone who is
a suspended driver, the vehicle could be impounded for a period of time and is not returned to the owner until towing and storage charges are paid.
This places responsibility on the owner of the vehicle to take all reasonable steps to make certain that any driver of his or her vehicle has a valid
driver's licence. To confirm if a person has a valid driver's licence, call the Ministry of Transpertation at 1-900-565-6555.
Note: You must have that person's drivers licence number when you call. A $2.50 charge will apply to each inquiry.
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Impared Driving and Your Insurance
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The law protects society
Regardless of age, impared driving remains the largest single criminal cause of death and injury on Canadian roadways. Under recent legislation, drivers
with more than 80 milligrams of alcohol in their blood will be given an auto matic 90 day licence suspension whether or not they are eventually convicted
or acquitted of that offence. The same holds true for motorists who refuse a breathalyzer test. Drivers convicted in criminal court may face an additional
suspension of at least one year and a possible jail term.
Higher auto insurance premiums discourage drinking and driving
Following a licence suspension due to an impaired driving conviction, an adult male driver of a 1991 Honda Accord (with full coverage) could see his six
month premium rise from less than $500 to almost $2,500. This new premium will decrease over time (6 years) provide the driver remains conviction-free.
A driver under the age of 25 convicted of the same offence could face even greater premium increases.
Impaired driving affects much more than insurance premiums
An impaired driver may be required to pay to repair or replace the damage to their own vehicle. If convicted of impaired driving, the driver's insurance
company will not pay for loss of income if he or she is injured in an accident.
The facts are simple - if you drive while impaired , you are violating conditions of your insurance policy and the resulting financial obligations could be
devastating.
Be smart, don't drink and drive!
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