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Ontario Highway Driving Tips for G2 Drivers: Merging and the 400s

Cars travelling on a busy multi-lane freeway toward the Toronto skyline under a partly cloudy sky.

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Photo: Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Once you pass your G2 road test you can drive alone on Ontario’s 400-series highways, and you need that highway experience before the G road test. This guide covers merging, lane changes, exits, HOV lanes and speed limits, plus what the examiner checks on the freeway part of the G test.

Key facts

  • G1 drivers may not use 400-series highways or high-speed expressways unless the accompanying driver is a licensed driving instructor. G2 drivers may.
  • For the G test you sign a Declaration of Highway Driving Experience covering roads of 80 km/h or more.
  • Many sections that were 100 km/h are now 110 km/h. Follow the posted sign.
  • Stunt driving starts at 150 km/h on any road, including 110 km/h sections.
  • Keep right except to pass. Trucks are barred from the far left lane on many freeways with three or more lanes each way.

Ontario highway speed limits

Road Limit
No sign, inside cities, towns and villages 50 km/h
No sign, outside cities, towns and villages 80 km/h
Most 400-series sections 100 km/h or 110 km/h as posted
Stunt driving threshold 150 km/h on any road (lower thresholds also apply; see stunt driving penalties)

Ontario raised the limit to 110 km/h on nearly 89% of the provincial highway network that was posted at 100 km/h, about 1,811 km in total (ontario.ca, updated September 2026). The first 110 km/h sections, from 2019, were the QEW between Hamilton and St. Catharines, Highway 402 between Sarnia and London, and Highway 417 from Gloucester to the Quebec border. Ontario.ca does not list every 110 km/h section in text, so read the signs.

The limit is a maximum. The examiner also marks you down for driving unreasonably slowly.

How to merge onto an Ontario freeway

  1. On the ramp: check mirrors and your left blind spot for a gap in the nearest lane.
  2. Signal once freeway traffic can see you.
  3. In the acceleration lane: speed up to match freeway traffic and adjust your speed to time the merge.
  4. Merge smoothly into the centre of the nearest lane, with a two- to three-second gap to the car ahead.
  5. Cancel your signal.

Some ramps join on the left, which puts you straight into the fastest lane. Get up to speed quickly.

Already on the freeway and see someone merging? Move left if it is safe, to leave them room.

Driving along: lanes, spacing and scanning

  • Keep right. Use the left lane to pass, then move back.
  • Check mirrors every 5 to 10 seconds. Look 12 to 15 seconds ahead (the handbook’s general advice is 15 to 20 seconds, or as far as you can see).
  • Keep at least a two- to three-second gap. Two seconds is the minimum in ideal conditions only.
  • Stay out of other vehicles’ blind spots and do not sit close behind large trucks.
  • Never cut in front of another vehicle. A slower vehicle cutting in front of a faster one is dangerous and illegal.
  • Never pass a moving snow plow.

Changing lanes on the highway

  1. Check ahead, your mirrors and the blind spot for a space. On roads with three or more lanes, also watch for a car moving into the same space from two lanes over.
  2. Signal.
  3. Shoulder-check again.
  4. Move smoothly into the centre of the new lane, keeping your speed or gently increasing it. Do not slow down.
  5. Cancel the signal.

Avoid weaving and unnecessary lane changes. If a slower car is ahead in the left lane, wait for it to move right instead of darting around it on the right.

Leaving the freeway

  1. Exit signs appear well ahead. Move to the right lane early.
  2. Check mirrors and, if there is a lane to your right, that blind spot.
  3. Signal before the exit lane and enter it at its start, without crossing solid lines.
  4. Do not slow down until you are fully in the exit lane.
  5. Slow gradually to the ramp’s posted speed and check your speedometer. After high-speed driving you tend to underestimate your speed (velocitization).
  6. Be ready to stop at the end of the ramp.

Missed your exit? Take the next one. Never stop or reverse. Reversing on a divided road with a limit over 80 km/h, including the shoulder, is illegal except to help someone in trouble.

HOV lanes in Ontario

  • Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • For vehicles with at least 2 people, plus buses, motorcycles, licensed taxis, airport limousines and emergency vehicles. The handbook also lists green-plate electric vehicles and HOT permit holders where permitted.
  • Large trucks are not allowed, whatever the number of occupants.
  • Do not cross the striped buffer. Enter and leave only at the marked entry and exit zones.

What the examiner checks on the G test freeway section

Part Checks
Entering Mirror and blind-spot checks, signal timing, speed matched, smooth merge, signal cancelled
Driving along Mirrors every 5 to 10 seconds, steady legal speed, 2 to 3 second gap, avoiding blind spots
Lane changes Traffic check, signal, final blind-spot check, smooth move to lane centre, signal cancelled
Exiting Checks, early signal, enters exit lane at its start, no slowing until in the exit lane

The G test currently leaves out parallel parking, roadside stops, three-point turns and residential driving, so the highway section carries more weight. See the Ontario G road test.

A practice plan for new G2 drivers

  1. Start on a quiet 80 km/h highway in daylight.
  2. Move to a 400-series highway outside rush hour and practise ramps until merges feel routine.
  3. Add lane changes, then multi-lane sections and busier times.
  4. Finish with night and wet-weather drives with an experienced driver.
  5. Keep a note of your highway trips. You will need to sign the declaration before the G test.

Common questions

Can a G1 driver drive on the 401?

Only with a licensed driving instructor. G1 drivers may not use 400-series highways or high-speed expressways otherwise. Full G1 rules: Ontario G1 rules.

Is the speed limit on the 401 110 km/h?

Some sections are 110 km/h and some are 100 km/h. Always follow the posted sign.

What should I do if no one lets me merge?

Adjust your speed in the acceleration lane to fit a gap. Merging traffic must find a gap, but drivers on the freeway should move over to help when it is safe.

Can I drive in the HOV lane alone in my G2?

Not in a regular car. You need at least 2 people in the vehicle, unless your car is one of the exempt types listed above.

How long should I keep my signal on when changing lanes?

Signal before you move and cancel it once you are in the new lane. Do the final blind-spot check after signalling.

Do G2 drivers have any highway restrictions?

No highway restrictions, but zero blood alcohol and the under-19 passenger rules still apply. See G2 rules.

Related: winter driving in Canada, slow down, move over, sharing Ontario roads. Back to learning to drive in Ontario.

Sources

  • Government of Ontario, “The Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Freeway driving” (ontario.ca)
  • Government of Ontario, “The Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Changing positions” (ontario.ca)
  • Government of Ontario, “The Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Driving along” (ontario.ca)
  • Government of Ontario, “The Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Changing directions” (ontario.ca)
  • Government of Ontario, “The Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: The Level Two road test” (ontario.ca)
  • Government of Ontario, “The Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Getting your driver’s licence” (ontario.ca)
  • Government of Ontario, “Raising speed limits on Ontario highways” (ontario.ca)

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