Ontario lawmaker introduces bill to add winter driving simulator training to MELT
Guy Bourgouin, member of provincial parliament, is calling on the government to increase truck driver training requirements in Ontario.
Bourgouin tabled his private member’s bill requiring all new drivers to complete mandatory entry-level training (MELT) before obtaining a class A or D licence. This training would include at least 20 hours on a truck simulator that would expose them to winter driving conditions, according to a new release.
“Winter has arrived in northern Ontario, and with it, dangerous driving conditions that shut down highways and lead to countless accidents,” Bourgouin said. “Winter conditions make driving on northern Ontario’s mainly single-lane highways dangerous for even the most experienced drivers. Highways 17 and 11 are essential roads for northern Ontarians, and every precaution must be taken to reduce the risks of collisions that put road users’ lives in danger.”
This proposed legislation adds to Bourgouin’s previously introduced private member’s bills that sought to improve highway safety by changing the class of highways in northern Ontario and making it illegal to pass on a double solid yellow line.
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Excellent idea. I congratulating Honorable Guy Bourgouin for his contribution to our transportation industry and safety of our drivers and publics. God bless.
So if the highways are dangerous for even the experienced driver, what will 20 hours in a simulator do ?? Sounds like these main highways that are only 2 lanes need to be expanded to allow more room for the larger vehicles in dangerous situation.
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In my opinion both are needed when truck drivers from countries that not have much snow they definitely need this training
I always thought it was already illegal to pass on a double yellow line, but you still see it..
where’s the enforcement?
i started driving 8 years ago i needed 30 hours of training to be able to do a road test and i passed the first time, was i ready for the road? no! but 30 hours of training was a enough for my brain to be full, would more training have helped? yeah i think so but i started driving for a company that trained me guys with years of experience were in contact with me for a long time. i needed that more then training cause here it was application while i was at it. most of the stuff the driver trainer told i had forgotten, some because it was pretty useless some i just forgot cause it was a lot to take in. since when is it a good idea to totally rely on truck driving schools to train our drivers? has this ever worked and will it ever work?
there is too many companies not willing to train their driver. there is companies that push their drivers there is a lot of impatient truck drivers tailgaiting, swirling, cutting curves, driving on the yellow line, how mush training do they need to know that’s not a good idea? or the drivers that drive slow even in good weather but speed up in passing lanes not alowing people to pass. winter training is a good idea but its not the problem
Making hands on skid school training should be mandatory instead. Way better than a simulator.
This a very good idea