Is the ministry planning on raising the driving age?
No. The Ministry of the Attorney General reviewed all Ontario laws that set a minimum age requirement. This was done to ensure they obeyed provisions prohibiting age discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Charter of Rights. After this review, the government decided to maintain 16 years as the minimum legal age for many “adult” activities in Ontario, such as leaving school, working full-time, and driving. The Ministry of Transportation agrees that the average 16 year-old has sufficient maturity and judgement to handle the responsibility of driving. Nevertheless, we are concerned by the number of collisions involving young people and inexperienced drivers. That is why we introduced the Graduated Licensing System in 1994. Graduated licensing introduces beginners into the driving population in a low-risk manner. Under this program, new drivers are expected to earn full driving privileges in two stages. In stage one, they learn while accompanied by a licensed dr
