Latest news with #driverslicence
National Post
05-08-2025
- Automotive
- National Post
A driver's licence can still offer teenage kicks
If the tea leaves are correct, young people could soon be greeting the driver's licence with the all-purpose put-down reserved for everything old, outdated and sanctimonious: 'OK, boomer.' Article content Once a rite of passage for Canadian teenagers, that laminated bit of plastic is losing its allure in the face of ride-sharing, hire bikes, online socializing, rising costs and the scourge of distracted drivers. Article content Article content Article content Surveys in North America and Europe all point to slackening demand, with one British poll suggesting only a third of 17- to 25-year-olds now hold a driver's licence. In Canada, the average age of students taking lessons is 20-plus, according to a report in The Globe and Mail quoting Young Drivers of Canada. Article content In the U.S., Motor Trend found only 49 per cent of 17-year-olds are licensed, compared to 95 per cent of those in their late 50s and early 60s. For older generations, the driver's licence has always been more than an acknowledgment of roadworthiness — it was a ticket to freedom; when 'über' was still just a German word, it was the first step to adulthood. Article content Licensing in Canada is a provincial affair, and Ontario was the first in North America to introduce graduated licensing 30 years ago. It began road tests in 1927, while Quebec did not require them until the 1950s. Alberta issued its first driver's licence — on linen (!) — in 1929, and it is one of the few regions that allows 14-year-olds to acquire a learner's permit. Article content Like thousands of others growing up in small-town Canada, I applied for my learner's permit on the day I turned 16. With the overconfidence of youth, I passed the road test on my first attempt — in a 1963 Ford Fairlane with no seatbelts and where hand signals were still expected. Article content Four decades later I found myself — all perspiring palms, dry throat and blipping heartbeat — back to Square 1, first for the written test and a few months later for the practical. Having relocated to Britain, I am a 1980s teenager again (minus the skin blemishes and flared jeans) as I seek a U.K. 'driving licence.' Article content Thankfully, driver education and testing has improved markedly. I am well-versed in The Highway Code, which sets out the rules of the road, and I pass the multiple-choice theory test with a near-perfect score. Article content But in typical Gen X fashion, I fail to prepare for the hazard-perception segment, a series of CGI clips gauging responses to real-world conditions — a far cry from my perfunctory 1980s paper-and-pen exam. I miss the cut by a few points. Suitably chastened, I plow through dozens of practice videos and pass on the second attempt.
The Herald
29-07-2025
- The Herald
Cape Town police crack down on motorists not carrying licences
During an operation in the Cape Town CBD on July 25, traffic officers issued fines to 54 motorists unable to provide a driver's licence. 'It's alarming to realise how many people are driving without valid licences or proof of a valid licence,' said safety and security MMC JP Smith. 'It might seem of little consequence, but officers are duty-bound to enforce the law. We face huge challenges with unlicensed drivers who are a danger to themselves and others. 'Presentation of a driver's licence card is the only way to prove you are behind the wheel legally. So let this serve as a reminder to us all to never leave home without your card — digital copies are not acceptable. If your card has been lost or stolen keep proof of the new application on hand in the event you are stopped.' In the past week traffic officers recorded 49,687 offences for traffic violations, executed 1,845 warrants and impounded 239 public transport vehicles. The public emergency communication centre dispatched assistance to 41 vehicle and pedestrian accidents.
The Herald
12-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
Home affairs to help print driving licences to clear backlog
Creecy said the two departments had agreed that the process would not take more than three months. The transport department's printing machine, which is more than 25 years old, has repeatedly broken down, resulting in huge backlogs. In February, the machine was out of operation, which resulted in a backlog of outstanding cards to be printed. According to the department, on July 5 the backlog stood at 602,831 cards. Gauteng was leading with 192,856, followed by the Western Cape with 86,862, and KwaZulu-Natal with 85,313. However, between May 8 and July 7, the department managed to process 515,758 cards. 'If you have a driver's licence that expires now, you have six months in which to get your permanent licence,' Creecy said. 'There would be a lot of people in the queue whose six months is up, so we have said they cannot be penalised because this is not of their making. So people must keep their receipts of when they applied, then they can't be fined. 'Also, they do not have to apply again. A lot of people have temporary licences, but now those licences are expiring again. But they don't have to apply again because that would be unfair. So we have waived that provision.' SowetanLIVE
ABC News
03-07-2025
- ABC News
First my passport and licence details were secretly compromised. Next someone stole my identity
No one told me my identity had been stolen. No one told me that my drivers licence and my passport, two of the most crucial personal documents, were compromised and had been for years. I only found out when I applied online for an eSIM. Last June, I was transferring my mobile number to a major Australian phone company when my phone service cut out. Thankfully, I had access to another phone and was able to call the helpline, only no one would speak to me. My account had been flagged for fraud and cancelled. When I asked to speak to the fraud team I was told no, because I didn't have an account with them. "Because you cancelled it". I tried to explain the situation as calmly as possible to the call centre operator who was just doing their job. You'd like to think in moments like this that you wouldn't panic. But then you realise how reliant you are on the portable internet box that is your phone. Without it, suddenly you can't contact anyone, access your bank account or use two-factor authentication apps that lock you out if you don't send the correct code within 30 seconds. Again, thankfully, I worked close to the city where there was a physical store for me to visit so I could prove my identity in person. It was then I learned that someone had used my drivers licence to open mobile phone accounts in my name. How did they get my drivers licence? No one could say. All they could do was close the fraudulent accounts, restore my number and recommend I replace my licence. In my mind that was the end of it. I was so relieved to have my mobile number back and a clear course of action. I also felt fortunate to have been able to resolve the issue in less than a day. I kept thinking about how awful this would be for someone who didn't have the time to sit on hold chasing answers or time to visit a store during limited opening hours. How could someone who lived regionally or remotely easily prove who they were when the nearest store was hours away. It all felt so outdated. Ironically the thing that alerted me to the greater theft of my passport was a cheque. I had received a cheque and had no way to cash it. The only solution was to set up a new bank account and deposit it via the post office. This inconvenient process greatly contributed to me not recognising it was strange that the bank kept rejecting my online application with vague instructions to contact their help centre. Life got in the way. Work was busy. Our cat died. We went on holiday. By the time I finally committed to getting the cheque sorted and calling the bank, months had passed. When the operator told me a bank account already existed under my name, I cursed my stolen drivers licence and explained what had happened. When they told me the account was not opened with my drivers licence but my passport, I felt ill. It wasn't one account. It was multiple buy now, pay later accounts with hundreds of dollars in overdue payments. My credit score was trashed. The fraudulent banking activity dated back two years. From the limited details I was given, I realised it was likely the same person who had set up the fraudulent phone accounts. How did someone get so much of my personal information? How did these accounts not set off any red flags? Why did no one tell me? I will be forever grateful to the operator who, hearing me close to tears on the phone, told it to me straight: hacks are happening all the time, and you will never know where or when they got your information. Some of my contact details like email addresses have been part of data breaches, but none of the breaches I am aware of have included systems that held my drivers licence and passport. I am incredibly fortunate that the real-world impact of my identity theft was small — so far. What has been difficult to overcome is the feeling of uneasiness from not knowing what else someone may have used my identity for, or how easily it could be stolen again with far greater consequences. Now my details are flagged to prevent further fraud and I am a reference number in an overwhelming collection of cybercrime case files that there are too few resources to pursue. We live in a world where protection is proactive. When I found out about my drivers licence, the phone company sent me a very long email with your standard fraud tips including changing your passwords. The one line I wish I had paid attention to was to request a free copy of my credit report. If I had done that at the time, it would have revealed the fraudulent banking activity. The report takes only a few minutes to complete. Let this be the check that keeps your identity safe.
Globe and Mail
15-06-2025
- Globe and Mail
Can I legally drive with just a photo of my licence?
Am I required to have my actual physical driver's licence on my person when driving in Ontario? Will a clear and legible photo on my phone suffice? My wallet which contained my licence was stolen and I'm wondering if I can manage with the photo that I have on my phone for now. I am supposed to receive a new licence in a couple of months. – Ernie, Toronto Police have licence to charge you if you're driving without yours – even if you have a photo of it on your phone. 'Your driver's licence is supposed to be on your person when you are stopped by police,' said Sergeant Kerry Schmidt with the Highway Safety Division of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). '[A photo of your licence] will help us identify you, but you can still get a ticket. You need to have your licence on you.' Section 33 of Ontario's Highway Traffic Act states all drivers have to carry a licence at all times while 'in charge of a motor vehicle or street car' or face a $110 fine. Generally, it's up to the officer to decide to charge you or let you off with a warning. If you get a ticket, could it be revoked if you bring your licence to police within 24 hours? That's a myth, Schmidt said. 'If you get a ticket, they're not going to revoke the ticket 24 hours later,' he said. 'You would have to go to court and talk to the prosecutor to see if they'll withdraw it or dismiss it.' The laws are similar in other provinces – for instance, it's an $81 fine in British Columbia, a $243 fine in Alberta and a $65 fine, including fees, in Quebec. No province lets you use a photo of your licence instead of carrying the real thing. While more than a dozen U.S. states, including Arizona, California and Hawaii, are experimenting with digital driver's licences on smartphones, no provinces in Canada offer them. Identity crisis? If you don't have your driver's licence on you, a short traffic stop could turn into a long one, said Corporal Michael McLaughlin with B.C. Highway Patrol. 'Not having a licence is likely to set off a police officer's radar and make them ask questions,' McLaughlin said in an e-mail. 'Is this person who they say they are? Are they trying to hide something?' An officer can decide to let you off with a warning, but if you're deliberately driving without your licence, a ticket is more likely, he said. Without a driver's licence, police have to find some other way to identify you. While police in most provinces, including Ontario, can see your driver's licence photo in their system, it can still take time – and a lot of questions – to prove your identity, he said. 'Individuals who have warrants or don't have a [valid] licence will give false information to the police,' Corporal Troy Savinkoff, an Alberta RCMP spokesman, said in an e-mail. 'These interactions almost always begin with the individual saying they don't have ID on them.' If your licence is lost or stolen, you're legally required to replace it. Also, reporting a lost or stolen licence can help prevent somebody else from using it – and getting you in hot water. 'If someone tries to use your ID, the officer will be aware of the reported theft and will take extra steps to ensure they are not charging the wrong person,' Savinkoff said. In most provinces, including Ontario. you will get a temporary paper licence – without your photo – to use until you get the new licence in the mail. Giving paper the slip? While you still can't use your smartphone as a licence in Canada, you can use it as a pink slip. Most provinces, including Ontario, now allow digital proof of insurance. You get them from your insurance company. So, instead of rifling through the glove compartment to find a slip of paper, you can just show an officer the card in your phone's digital wallet. If your phone's battery dies, it won't work, so make sure you have a charger, the Alberta Motor Association said. Have a driving question? Send it to globedrive@ and put 'Driving Concerns' in your subject line. Emails without the correct subject line may not be answered. Canada's a big place, so let us know where you are so we can find the answer for your city and province.
