What you can expect inside What you can expect inside this webinar?this webinar?

Driving- how to get a driving license in Ontario?- how to purchase, register and insure a vehicle?- parking and child safety regulations- winter driving safety tips

Cycling- cycling regulations in Ontario

Public Transit and Taxis- public transportation- special needs and social transportation- taxi services

Provincial, Inter-provincial and International transit- railway- intercity buses- air travel

Getting a driving license – why Getting a driving license – why botherbother ??

• Driving is essential means of transportation in non-urban areas where public transit system is not as developed as in metropolitan areas

• It is safer and cheaper to drive in small communities - Less traffic - Lower insurance premiums

Information: Brockville is the safest community to drive in Ontario according to the Allstate

Insurance Company’s Ontario Safe Driving Study 2011.

How to get a dHow to get a driving license in riving license in OntarioOntario

Driving license – First time Driving license – First time driversdrivers

Follow the graduation steps!

G1 - Written test - knowledge of traffic rules and regulations Vision test - able to see required distances Graduate in 8 to 12 months

G2 - Intermediate driving test: satisfactory driving skills on city roads Graduate in 12 months

G – Full driving test – satisfactory driving skills on highways Grants full driving privileges in the Province of Ontario.

Remember: your G2 license will revert back to G1 if you don’t take the full G-test within the timeframe

Driving license – Foreign license Driving license – Foreign license holdersholders

You can avoid the graduation steps !

• License from countries with Reciprocal Agreement - immediate exchange

- List of Reciprocal Agreement countries www.

drivetest.ca/en/license/ExchangeReciprocal.aspx

• License from other foreign country – immediate drive test - Letter from the original license issuing agency or Embassy / Consulate of the country in Canada attesting to applicant’s driving experience

Driving Experience Equivalents

• 12 -24 months of experience in the last 3 years – exchange /take drive test for G2 license

• 24 + months of experience in the last 3 years – exchange / take drive test for G license

Preparing to take your drive Preparing to take your drive testtest

Preparing to take your drive Preparing to take your drive testtestwww.DriveTest.ca website provides all the information you need!

• Find the closest Drive Test Centers to you • Find out the test fees• Book drive test online• Find information about official driving handbook• Find Ministry of Transportation (MTO) approved Beginner Driver Education (BDE)

courses

• Beginner Driver Education Courses are highly recommended - savings from the insurance premiums exceed the cost of training - G1 graduation test towards receiving G2 license 4 months earlier

Further information: Guide to Newcomers and Ontario Expired Driver’s License Holders

drivetest.ca – Driver Education

Purchase a VehiclePurchase a Vehicle

Purchase a VehiclePurchase a VehicleConsider

• Type of vehicle • New or used • Method of payment

Do Your Research• www.ConsumerReports.org – Car Buying Advice• www.auto123.com – Car Buying Guide

Where to Buy• AutoTrader.ca• Autocatch.com • www.Kijiji.ca • Local dealerships: www.Newcomersinfo.ca - Transportation

Remember to ask from the vendor - Safety Standards Certificate & Emissions Test Certificate

• Required to register your vehicle in Ontario• Reduces the risk of purchasing a fraudulent car

Register your VehicleRegister your Vehicle

Register your VehicleRegister your Vehicle The Law requires that all vehicles in Ontario are registered under

the owner’s name and address.

Where?• Service Ontario Counters Service Ontario online locator www.services.gov.on.ca/services

When?• New vehicle owners – within 6 days• Foreign car owners – within 30 days• Change of address and/or owner’s name – within 6 days

You must present• Vehicle Insurance• Safety Standards Certificate and Emissions Test Certificate (provided by the vendor or obtained at a licensed garage)

You will get• License Plate (at $20 fee)• Validation sticker (at $ 74 fee -renewed annually)

Auto InsuranceAuto Insurance

Auto InsuranceAuto InsuranceAuto –insurance is the law. Failure to have an insurance can result to fine of $5000 -$50,000

• Insurance premium is determined by a number of factors: model and year of vehicle, your postal code, driver’s training & experience, age & sex – consider these factors when purchasing your car !

• Shop around, ask for a quote – auto - insurance premiums might vary significantly for the same coverage on the same car by different insurance companies.

Types of Insurance Coverage

Mandatory - Liability coverage

• Third party liability coverage • Statutory accident benefits coverage • Direct compensation property damage

Optional - Collision coverage and Comprehensive coverage

ParkingParking

ParkingParkingParking regulations vary in different municipalitiesConsult your municipal website / call responsible department for specific informationExample: www.city.brockville.on.ca – Departments – Parking and Animal Control

• On - street parking - free or with payment at the meter

- regulated by signs - not allowed to park in 3 meters of fire hydrant & 9 meters of intersection

• On-street winter overnight parking - regulated by municipal by-laws

- most often prohibited to allow snow- plowing machines clean the street

• Accessible Parking Permit (APP)

- allows to park at designated areas, exemptions from certain regulations - eligibility details: www.ontario.ca/en/services_for_residents/ONT05_039815.html

- apply for APP: www.ontario.ca/en/services_for_residents/index.htm

• Parking lots - terms and regulations posted on signs - free customer parking at large shopping & entertainment centers

Child SafetyChild Safety

Child SafetyChild SafetyBy law, it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure passengers under the age of 16

are securely seated in the car.

Child seat safety standards:

- Infants: birth to 9 kg (20lb) – rear facing car-seats- Toddlers: 9 -18 kg (20-40lb) –forward facing car-seats- Pre-school: 18 -36 kg (40-80 lb) less than 145 cm (4 ft 9 inch)– booster seat- Youth: 36 kg (80 lb) and 145 cm or more – regular seat belt.- Children under 13 years of age are safest in the back seat.

• Child seats used in Canada should have a Canadian motor-vehicle safety standard label and expiry date that does not exceed 10 years

• Demonstration of car-seat applications: Ontario Ministry of Transportation website

www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/carseat/choose.shtml

Winter Driving Safety TipsWinter Driving Safety Tips

Winter Driving Safety TipsWinter Driving Safety Tips1. Check the weather forecast and road conditions before starting your trip

- weather forecast across the country www.weatheroffice.gc.ca

- winter road conditions by region www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/traveller/conditions 2. Explore the Winter Driving Brochure developed by Transport Canada

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/safevehicles-safetyfeatures-winterdriving-index-693.htm

3. If possible, take winter driving classes by an experienced instructor.

4. Keep a Winter Driving Emergency Kit in your vehicle’s trunk – just in case you might need it!

Video demonstration of Emergency Kit items: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcdeOurNo3c&feature=player_embedded

Cycling in OntarioCycling in Ontario

Cycling in OntarioCycling in OntarioBy law, bicycle is a vehicle and cyclists should obey the traffic rulesThere is no cycling license in Ontario, but the police can issue fines if the

cyclists fail toobey the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) regulations for cyclists

Key HTA cycling regulations: - stop at the red lights and stop signs - signal the turns - make sure cyclists under the age of 18 wear a helmet - stop for stopped school buses - yield to pedestrians

Full list of HTA Cycling regulations and set fines – The Ontario’s Guide to Safe Cycling www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/cycling-guide/section5.0.shtml

Further Information

Toronto Cycling Handbook - properly wearing a helmet, parking a bicycle and morewww.settlement.org/sys/library_detail.asp?k=TRANS_PUB&doc_id=1005083

Brockville Cycling: www.brockvillecycling.com

Public TransportationPublic Transportation

Public TransportationPublic TransportationWhere to find information on public transit in your

community?

1. ON Ministry of Transportation online database of available public transit systems in all of Ontario mto.gov.on.ca – Public Transit

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/traveller/transit.shtml

2. Municipal websites – usually under Transportation or Resident Services: information about routes, fees, schedules and maps

• Lets explore www.city.brockville.on.ca website

Special needs and Social Special needs and Social transportationtransportation

Special needs and Social Special needs and Social transportationtransportation

Most communities have some type of transportation assistance for individuals with special needs

1. Special provisions built into the general public transit system- fully accessible buses with lifts for people with disabilities

- para - transit services for people with disabilities by pre-booked

pick-up times at the conventional fare

2. Separate transportation provided by agencies serving people with special needs, day care centers, schools, vocational rehabilitation services, etc. - search in www.211ontario.ca online database of community

agencies by search word ‘transportation’ and your area - ask your social worker (if you have one) - inquire at the Community and Primary Health Care units.

Taxi ServicesTaxi Services• Where to find taxi services in your community? - telephone book online www.yellowpages.ca/ or in print - web search by using search word ‘taxi services’ and ‘area name’

• Call in advance to make a pick-up appointment

• The price of the trip will appear on the meter beside the driver. If there is no meter - ask the driver the cost of the trip in advance.

• Be prepared to pay by cash. Not all taxi drivers accept credit cards.

• Gratuity payment of 10 % – 15 % (on top of the amount on the meter) is an accepted practice but completely optional for the customer.

Provincial, Inter-provincial and Provincial, Inter-provincial and International transitInternational transit

Provincial, Inter-provincial and Provincial, Inter-provincial and International transitInternational transit

• Train: Via Rail Canada cross –country railway http://www.viarail.ca/en/trains/ontario-and-quebec

• Bus: regular trips by Megabus from Brockville to Kingston, Toronto, Cornwall and Montreal http://ca.megabus.com/default.aspx

• Air-travel: - Ottawa International Airport (40-90 minute drive) - Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (2-3 hour drive or

train) - Toronto Pearson International Airport (4 hour drive or bus in

Kingston)

• Drive: - HWY 401 connecting to all major routes in Ontario - Two international bridges connecting to USA Thousand Islands Bridge & Prescott- Ogdensburg Bridge

Key WebsitesKey Websitesnewcomersinfo.ca/newcomersinfo.ca/

drivetest.ca/drivetest.ca/

mto.gov.on.ca/mto.gov.on.ca/

tc.gc.ca/tc.gc.ca/

settlement.org/settlement.org/