Saskatchewan Government Insurance and police focusing on new drivers this month

Police will be watching for new drivers not following restrictions outlined in the Graduated Driver’s Licensing (GDL) and Motorcycle Graduated Driver’s Licensing (MGDL) programs throughout the month of June.

All new drivers, regardless of age, must successfully complete the applicable GDL program, before they graduate to an experienced licence, Saskatchewan Government Insurance said in a release on Monday. The GDL programs help gradually move new drivers into higher risk driving situations with certain driving restrictions.

Each program has three stages: Learner, Novice 1 and Novice 2 and drivers must comply with the following restrictions in each stage:

• No cellphone use while driving, not even hands-free;

• The number of passengers is limited to the number of seatbelts;

• Cannot be a supervising driver for another driver in the GDL program; and

• Unable to obtain a commercial driver’s licence.

GDL drivers also have different passenger restrictions in each stage, since distractions increase as the number of passengers increase, SGI noted in the release. [click image below to enlarge]

For the MGDL program, the following restrictions were added last summer for all new motorcycle riders: the wearing of protective gear; displaying a red learner ‘L’ or green novice ‘N’ placard; and possible restriction in engine size. There is also zero drug and alcohol tolerance for new drivers, regardless of their age, in both the GDL and MGDL programs.

“Practice is essential,” Ken Claffey, driver education manager, Saskatoon Public Schools, said in the release, adding that new drivers can be helped through the graduated stages by putting them in the driver’s seat as much as possible.

“Give your new driver as much seat time as possible when you are with them,” Claffey said. “The more they drive, the better they get. And remember, new drivers are impressionable and will pick up the supervising driver’s habits – whether they’re good or bad. So hang up, buckle up and follow the rules of the road.”