Regional Councillor Rowena Santos’ motion was approved regarding driver training, Ontario examinations, and the Auditor General Report. She referenced injury & loss of life statistics, emergency response, By-law and insurance costs.
This Jan 15, 2025 motion recognizes what all of us who walk, cycle or drive in Brampton have noticed.
- Brampton is the 4th most dangerous place to drive in Ontario –2024 source
- Brampton had 13 fatalities due to car collisions in 2024
- Speeding was most common type of Highway Traffic Act conviction (60.4%) and cause for fatalities –source
Peel Police reported the following Brampton charges (Jan-Sept 2024 compared to Jan-Sept 2023):
- 345 careless driving; up 25%
- 830 speeding; up 117%
- 874 “Fail to Stop” at stop sign; up 74%
- 125 Brampton cellphone use while driving; up 29%
Councillor Santos referred to the traffic congestion that these crashes cause. She mentioned some Brampton drivers taking road tests outside the City and some fraudulently acquiring their license. Our auto insurance premiums reflect this.
City’s efforts to slow speeding drivers
Brampton has made historic investments in ASE cameras, an ASE processing centre, speed bumps, road diets, lower speed limits, police enforcement and other traffic calming measures. Like all municipalities, Brampton lacks jurisdiction over driver training and examinations, an area requiring urgent reform under the Provincial Government.
The Auditor General (AG) conducted a value for money audit (AG Report) which includes 18 recommendations (summary attached to this motion) for the Provincial Government Ministry, published in Dec 2023, highlighting:
“Our audit concluded that the Ministry of Transportation did not have effective evidence-based driver examination programs to evaluate and test novice drivers thoroughly and consistently. The Ministry did not provide effective oversight of novice driver training and driver examination service providers to ensure desired service outcomes with due regard to economy. Ministry oversight of driving schools and instructors was limited. It does not regulate driver training services outside of the optional Beginner Driver Education program, curbing its ability to identify and/or deter substandard training practices within the industry. In addition, the Ministry’s monitoring programs were not designed to proactively identify drivers with repeat suspensions or high-risk medical conditions, impeding the effectiveness of these programs to maximize road safety in Ontario.” -Source https://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/annualreports/arreports/en23/AR_drivertraining_en23.pdf p.4
CBC Marketplace investigative story on Driving Schools
In March 2024, CBC Marketplace broke an investigative story “Driving schools selling shortcuts to insurance discounts and faster road tests” where schools submit false information to government saying drivers completed 40 hours of training, consistent with concerning findings in the AG Report -Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-driving-schools-education-fee-1.7134557
Damaged traffic light at Hurontario St. & Conservation Dr. intersection crash, Oct 2024 – photo credit: Dayle Laing
Safer Drivers = Safer Streets supports Active Transportation
BikeBrampton applauds Council’s approval of Councillor Santos’ motion, seconded by Deputy Mayor Singh to make the streets safer for vulnerable road users. A network of safe infrastructure is part of this picture. We need safer drivers for the safety of everyone.
City of Brampton Minutes, including link to video of Council discussion of Motion
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