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8A. Glossary

Ability Impaired - Alcohol:
Driving while one's ability is impaired by alcohol or driving with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 80 milligrams in 100 millilitres of blood.

Administrative Driver's Licence Suspension (ADLS):
This program, designed to reduce drinking and driving, started November 29, 1996. Under this program, provincial law permits the immediate suspension of a driver's licence for 90 days upon evidence gathered by a police officer that the driver
(a) was shown to have a concentration of alcohol in excess of 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood or
(b) the driver failed or refused to provide a breath or blood sample.

Alcohol Involved:
This category includes both drivers reported as ability impaired by alcohol and drivers reported as "had been drinking".

Class G1 Driver's Licence:
A holder of a Class G1 driver's licence:

  • must have a zero blood alcohol content while driving;
  • must have only one passenger in the front seat. That person, the accompanying driver, must be a fully licensed driver (Class A, B, C, D, E, F and G) with at least four years driving experience. That person's blood alcohol content must be less than .05;
  • unless accompanied by a licensed driving instructor, must not drive on Ontario's "400- series" highways or on high speed expressways such as the Queen Elizabeth Way, the Don Valley Parkway, E.C. Row Expressway and the Conestoga Parkway;
  • must limit the number of back seat passengers they carry to the number of seat belts in the back seat of the vehicle;
  • must not drive between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m;
  • may drive Class G vehicle only.

Level One lasts 12 months, but that time can be reduced to eight months by completing an approved driver education course. For information about approved courses, contact any Ministry of Transportation licensing office. At the end of the level, drivers must pass a road test before proceeding to Level Two.

Class G2 Driver's Licence:
A holder of a Class G2 driver's licence:

  • must have a zero blood alcohol content while driving;
  • is allowed to drive any motor vehicle that requires a Class G driver's licence (e.g. an automobile) on the road;
  • must limit the number of back seat passengers they carry to the number of seat belts in the back seat of the vehicle.
  • must restrict number of teenage passengers, since 2005.

Level Two lasts 12 months. After completing this level, drivers are eligible to take a comprehensive test to qualify for full licence privileges.

Class M1 Motorcycle Driver's Licence:
A holder of a Class M1 motorcycle driver's licence:

  • allows the holder to operate a motorcycle for the purposes of training;
  • must have a zero blood alcohol content while driving;
  • is only allowed to drive during daylight hours (onehalf hour before sunrise to onehalf hour after sunset);
  • is only allowed to drive on roads with speed limits of 80 km/h or less, except where there is no other route to take. Class M1 Motorcycle Driver's Licence holders may drive on highways 11, 17, 61, 69, 71, 101, 102, 144, and 655;
  • may not carry passengers.

Level One lasts at least 60 days, and the licence is valid for 90 days. Level One drivers must pass a motorcycle road test before proceeding to Level Two. Alternatively, during Level One they may take an approved motorcycle safety course that includes a road test, instead of the ministry road test.

Class M2 Motorcycle Driver's Licence:
A holder of a Class M2 motorcycle driver's licence:

  • must have a zero blood alcohol content while driving.

After completing Level Two, drivers will be eligible to take a comprehensive test to qualify for full licence privileges.

Conviction:
Registered when a person pleads guilty to, or is found guilty of, an offence related to a motor vehicle under any Act of the Ontario Legislature or its accompanying regulations, under the Parliament of Canada or any accompanying order, or under any municipal bylaw.

Driver:
Unless specified otherwise, any person, whether licensed or not, considered to be in care and control of a vehicle at the time of a collision.

Had Been Drinking:
Driving after having consumed an amount of alcohol not considered sufficient to be legally impaired or with a measured blood alcohol count of greater than zero but less than 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. Blood alcohol concentration between .05 and .08 results in a 12-hour suspension.

Hanger-on:
Hangers-on are persons hanging on to a moving motor vehicle's fenders, bumpers, doors or other parts of the vehicle and not located inside, e.g., riding in back of pick-up.

Highway:
A common and public highway, street, avenue etc., any part of which is intended for public use or used by the general public for the passage of vehicles and including the area between the property lines.

Kilometres Travelled:
Prior to 2000, vehicle fleet mileage was estimated on the basis of taxed gasoline and motor fuel sales. Total litres sold were converted to kilometers travelled based on a conversion factor of 22.0 kilometres per gallon. Starting in 2000, vehicle kilometers travelled are based on estimates provided by Statistics Canada and Transport Canada.

Major Injury:
A non-fatal injury severe enough to require that the injured person be admitted to hospital, even if for observation only.

Minimal Injury:
A non-fatal injury, including minor abrasions and bruises, which does not necessitate the injured person going to a hospital.

Minor Injury:
A non-fatal injury requiring medical treatment at a hospital emergency room, but not requiring hospitalization of the involved person.

Motor Vehicle Collision:
Any incident in which bodily injury or damage to property is sustained as a result of the movement of a motor vehicle, or of its load while a motor vehicle is in motion.

Off-Highway Collisions:
An off-highway collision involving any of the motorized vehicles which are covered by legislation under the Highway Traffic Act, the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act, and the Off-Road Vehicles Act.

On-Highway Collisions:
A motor vehicle collision which occurs on the highway between the property lines.

Pedestrian:
Any person not riding in or on a vehicle involved in a motor vehicle collision.

Fatal Collision:
A motor vehicle collision in which at least one person sustains bodily injuries resulting in death. Prior to January 1, 1982, fatal collision statistics included deaths attributed to injuries sustained in the collision, for up to one year after the collision. Since that date, only deaths occurring within 30 days of the collision have been included.

Personal Injury Collision:
A motor vehicle collision in which at least one person involved sustains bodily injuries not resulting in death.

Property Damage Collision:
A motor vehicle collision in which no person sustains bodily injury, but in which there is damage to any public property or damage to private property * including damage to the motor vehicle or its load.

Reportable Collision:
Any collision involving injury or damage to private property in excess of a monetary value prescribed by regulation.*

Self-Reporting of a Collision:
Under the Highway Traffic Act [s.199 (1.1)], when one is in a collision in which there is only property damage (no injury or death, and, among other conditions, no criminal activities such as impaired driving) the involved person(s) may report the collision immediately by proceeding with one's vehicle to a Collision Reporting Centre. Self-Reporting of a collision was introduced on January 1, 1997.

Suspension:
Withdrawal of a driver's privilege to operate motor vehicle for a prescribed period of time.

* The minimum reportable level for property damage only collisions rose from $200 to $400 on January 1, 1978 and rose again to $700 on January 1, 1985. As of January 1, 1998, the minimum reportable level for property damage only collision is $1,000.

8B. Acknowledgements

The Ministry of Transportation would like to acknowledge the following for their assistance:

Police Officers of Ontario

Office of the Chief Coroner
Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services

Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF)

Information Planning & Court Statistics
Program Development Branch
Ministry of the Attorney General

Knowledge Management Unit
Information Planning and Evaluation Branch
Ministry of Health

Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing

Ministry of Education