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Injury Prevention

drivers

All drivers

Most collisions are caused by driver error or behaviours such as speeding, choosing to drive impaired, not wearing seat belts or being distracted. Speed limits are set for safety reasons, as are the laws enforcing seat belt use and eliminating the use of handheld devices.  Speed, impairment and distraction kill, seat belts save lives.

Motor vehicle collisions are the second leading cause of injury death to teens and young adults (suicide is the #1 cause). The involvement of young drivers (15 to 24 years) in serious road crashes vastly outweighs their representation in the driving population.

Young drivers make up 13 per cent of the licensed driving population, but account for nearly one-quarter (25 per cent) of all motor vehicle deaths and injuries, largely due to lack of experience and risk-taking behaviours (e.g. drinking and driving, lack of seat belt use, and speeding).

More information on impaired drivers

In Ontario, no one loses their license based solely on their age. Age alone is not an indicator of driving ability or skill. However, once you reach the age of 80 you are required to renew your license. See 80+ renewal below. As people age, everyone experiences physical, mental, and sensory changes that can decrease awareness of surroundings, limit ability to react fast enough, and decrease concentration. These changes take place at different times and rates between individuals, therefore, no maximum age limit for people to drive has been set.

80+ license renewal

All licensed drivers are required to renew their license by their 80th birthday and every 2 years after that. 

Mature driver refresher courses are available to help older drivers stay safe and driving longer.  

If you are considering giving up driving, check out this interactive lesson, Changing Gears: Making a Plan for Retiring from Driving.

Distracted driving is considered operating a vehicle without paying full attention, because the driver is temporarily focused on another object, person, or task.  This can reduce the driver’s awareness of their surroundings, impair their decision making and decrease their performance, increasing the risk of a collision.

Distracted Pic

See MTO for more information on distracted driving.

 
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