Purley

I was listening to talk radio in my car and they were discussing the right for people from certain countries - they listed the countries but I missed that part - to exchange their driver's licences for Canadian licences without taking a test.

One of the men who phoned in was an ESL teacher and he said that he had a South Korean - who was included on that list - who had had four accidents in a year. He also said that many of the countries - Germany and south Korea were two of them - could not read the road signs!!

I can see the sense in allowing people from English speaking countries to automatically get an Canadian licence but does it not seem rather stupid that we would give the same right to people who cannot speak or read English????

This is the show - Warren on the Weekend

http://www.peterwarren.ca/

he says it like it is - you should listen if you get it in your city.

liftman

But they don't all give us that right do they?

CalgaryAMC

Canada exchanges license with jurisdictions with which it has a reciprocal agreement.

Canada does not have the ability to assess driving standards in different jurisdictions, so these license exchanges should not be thought of as an endorsement of the quality of the foreign jurisdiction's driving.

Glaswegian

I see no problem with requiring every immigrant to sit the Canadian driving test.

simonhouse

Seems silly to me that UK drivers can direct swap their licence in four provinces, but not in the others.

There are ways around it though - UK drivers can swap theirs for a German licence; which is then exchangable anywhere in Canada! Maybe that needs to be added onto the Canada silly rule thread?

crazydaisy

I wrote to our local traffic department to ask if Manitoba were planning to follow other provinces in exchanging licenses and heard nothing back yet. I'm going to approch the immigration office next which deals with provincial nominations. If we keep on the pressure they may just give in - hmm, one can but hope!

ksct97

think i read this on another thread, but can't remember where... but for car insurance you need to get comprehensive AND collision? is that right?, what will that cover? is that national insuarnace cover or just for that province?

donglemouse

There are ways around it though - UK drivers can swap theirs for a German licence;

This may not work in some provinces however as you must have held the licence for 2 years

So unless you think ahead and swap for a german licencse years before you come it doesn't work.............

This scam was suggested for Ontario before they had an agreement with the UK along with getting a Quebec license etc etc

Smokey

When I had a look at this a couple of years ago there was one vital flaw in the plan......
....you have to be a resident and have an address.
There were a couple of US States which would swap too but same problem. Theres nothing for it but to either choose somewhere which will swap or bite the bullet

Glaswegian

Its probably faster and easier just to sit the test!

In Alberta its not a difficult test - get tested in an automatic. No requirement for emergency stop etc. The big thing is checking that you spotted the playground/school zone and obeyed the speed limit.

wizzard

I had to take my test in Ontario last year before they changed the rules and it was no big deal. Bit nerve wrecking before hand as any exam is but once you get in the car and start you realize you have been driving for years and the examiner can see full well you know how to drive. It's not like being 17 again and having no real experience and confidence etc.

Personally, while I woul dhave gladly jumped at the chance to swap with no test, I think it was a better idea because it makes you think a little more about the major and minor differences in the road rules here and so forth to which you wouldn't even need to glance at if you could swap. I mean at least the signs (outside Quebec etc) are in English etc so that's not so bad but you have visions of people coming form Germany or South Korea etc. who say came on a family class visa where there is no language requirement so might not even speak English at all just being able to swap a licence with no testing at all. I know I'd be pretty bewlidered if I was handed a korean driving licence and let loose on the roads there without even a quick lesson in road signs and rules etc. I think even if they waive the practical test they should still make everyone take the written test just to prove they have at least made the effort to learn the local rules.

Drew

Glaswegian

I see no reason to waive the test. I'd like to have more confidence that the person driving close to me has taken a local test. It really isnt difficult.

crazydaisy

Just to add to the above message - I got a reply from Manitoba licensing which said the following:

"Manitoba has driver licence reciprocity for Class 5 only (passenger cars) with South Korea and Germany, and we are currently in the process of establishing reciprocity arrangements with several other countries."

So that's sort of a help I guess - keep pressurising those provinces and hopefully we can get them all converted!

Glaswegian

What have South Korea and Germany done to gain such special privileges??

As a UK licenced driver I could safely drive In France .... never tried Germany or South Korea, are they that much like Canada?

squarepants

A simple answer to your question really, Germany, Austria, switzerland, all drive on the same side of the road as canada, we don't ! That is why those countries are able to swap their licences for a canadian one, in most provinces, in the case of Germany, it's all the provinces from what I can see.

It's usually down to the individual provinces to get into a reciprocal agreement with different countries. Ontarians have been able to swap their licenses in the UK since 1999, our Govt drag and dragged it till March this year, and must I say, France beat us to it here in Ontario