Quick Facts

Drivers and Vehicles

• There are approximately 10.6 million registered vehicles (includes passenger vehicles, motorcycles, mopeds, commercial vehicles, buses, trailers, snow vehicles, and off road vehicles), 8.9 million drivers and approximately 85,000 bus and truck companies actively operating on our highways.
• There are approximately 1,287,493 trucks, 31,743 buses, and 555,460 commercially licensed bus and truck drivers registered in Ontario. Thousands more operate into Ontario from other jurisdictions.
• There are 55 driver examination centres, one commercial testing facility and 38 travel points (operated by Serco DES Inc, as DriveTest Centres) and over 250 privately owned driver and vehicle licence issuing offices across the province.
• Driver and vehicle services are also provided at the government operated ServiceOntario, College Park location.

Road User Safety

• In 2005, Ontario continues to be among the North American leaders in road safety (0.87 fatalities per 10,000 licensed drivers).
• In 2005, the number of traffic fatalities on Ontario’s roads dropped to 766, the lowest number of fatalities since 1948.
• Ontario recorded the lowest impaired driving offence rates per 100,000 population in Canada in 2005 - almost 40 per cent lower than the national average.
• The number of drinking and driving-related fatalities decreased from 192 in 2004 to 174 in 2005, a reduction of 9.4 per cent.
• Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec are the only Canadian jurisdictions to require booster seats for children traveling in a motor vehicle. 
• Ontario became the first jurisdiction in Canada to implement a Graduated Licensing System (GLS) for novice drivers in 1994.
• In 1996, a new program for senior drivers was introduced in Ontario. By 2005, Ontario's fatal collision involvement rate for drivers aged 80 and over decreased by 54 per cent, compared to the period before implementation of the new program (1988-1995).

Go Transit

• GO Transit carries more than 50 million passengers annually which results in1.5 billion fewer kilometres of passenger car trips each year.
• Union Station serves at least 96 per cent of GO Transit's train passengers, while about 70 per cent of all bus passengers travel to and from the City of Toronto.

Provincial Highways Management

• There are 16,525 kilometres of provincial highway. Placed end to end, Ontario's highways would span Canada twice.
• The Ministry of Transportation manages 2,800 bridges and structures, 29 remote airports and eight ferry services.
• Replacement value of Ontario's highways and bridges is approximately $46 billion.
• Annually, $1.2 trillion worth of goods are transported in Ontario, $238.5 billion of which pass over international bridge crossings linked to provincial highways.
• More than 90 per cent of all Ontarians reside within 10 km of the provincial highways. During the peak periods, about one third of the auto trips in Ontario use provincial highways.
• Asphalt pavement lasts an average of about 15 years before it needs resurfacing, if it's properly maintained.
• Bridges need to be thoroughly inspected every two years, rehabilitated every 20 to 30 years and completely replaced after 75 years. New bridges are designed to last at least 75 years without major rehabilitation.
• There are more than 180 COMPASS cameras in the province.

ServiceOntario Kiosks

Internet Services

Some of the services available through the Ministry of Transportation website or by direct link to the  ServiceOntario website are:

• Change of address - Driver's Licence, vehicle registration, Health Card, Outdoors Card
• Ordering plate validation renewal stickers
• Order a Used Vehicle Information Packages
• Order Own Choice Plates
• Purchase uncertified driver and vehicle abstract
• Driver's Licence validity check
• Road Test Booking
• Driver Handbook online
• Vehicle history search
• Commercial vehicle operator public record
• Commercial vehicle operator driver record
• Carrier safety rating enquiry
• List of unsatisfactory /cancelled /excellent carriers
• Real time traffic condition information for Highway 401 through Toronto and QEW through Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton
• Real time traffic incident information for the Greater Toronto Area and the Niagara peninsula
• Snapshots updated every few minutes from COMPASS cameras on highways in the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa, and border crossing areas in Niagara, Windsor and Sarnia

Telephone Services

The following are some of the telephone services available:

• ServiceOntario, Transportation Information Line for road condition, road construction and general transportation-related information (1-800-268-4686 or 416-235-4686 in the Greater Toronto Area. TTY services available 1-800-471-8929 or in the Niagara Region 905-704-2426)
• ServiceOntario, Driver and Vehicle 24-Hour Information Service, for driver and vehicle information (1-800-387-3445 or 416-235-2999 in the Greater Toronto Area)
• Road Test Booking(1-888-570-6110 or 416-325-8580)
• Driver's licence validity check (1-900-565-6555)

On a Typical Day

• 2,800 road tests are performed
• 15,000 phone and internet contacts
• 3,000 hits per day for Road Test Bookings
• 16,575 driver's licences are issued (including renewals)
• 425,000 vehicles use Highway 401 near Highway 400, making it one of the busiest sections of highway in North America
• GO Transit carries 205,000 passengers

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