Supervised practice and driver education in Saskatchewan

By the end of this topic you can

• You can check whether someone qualifies as your supervising driver.
• You can compare the two driver education routes.
• You can show proof of training at your road test.
• You can plan varied practice using SGI's free supervisor resources.

What you need to know and understand

• A supervising driver must hold the equivalent of a Class 5 or higher licence from a Canadian or U.S. jurisdiction.
• The supervisor must have held a valid licence for at least 365 days in the past three years and must not be a novice driver.
• The supervisor sits in the seat nearest you and the controls and must be able to take over at any time.
• Driver education is mandatory before you can upgrade from Class 7.
• The high school program includes 30 hours in class and six hours in the car.
• The private instructor route is at least six hours in class and six hours in the car, for ages 16 and up.
• SGI does not set a minimum number of logged practice hours in the handbook, but it gives free practice logs and a supervisor's guide.

Who can sit beside you

Your supervising driver is your safety net. Saskatchewan law requires them to be able to take control of the car at any moment, so they should be alert, sober and not distracted. A GDL driver (Learner, Novice 1 or Novice 2) cannot act as a supervisor.

• Holds a Class 5 or higher licence, or the equivalent from another Canadian or U.S. jurisdiction.
• Has held a valid licence for at least 365 days in the preceding three years.
• Is not a novice driver.
• Sits in the front seat nearest the driver and the controls.

Two routes to mandatory driver education

When you hire an instructor, ask to see their instructor certification card. Your instructor will either add a training record to your SGI customer file or give you a Driver Education Certificate. If no record is on file, bring the certificate to your road test, or the test will be rescheduled.

• High school driver education: 30 hours in class plus six hours in the car with an SGI-certified educator. Students can start the Class 7 at 15.
• SGI-certified driver instructor: at least six hours in class and six hours in the car, for learners 16 and older.

Making practice count

SGI also offers free learner driver signs and a guide for supervisors called the Co-Pilot's Manual. Our guides to IPDE and eye lead time, and to mandatory driver education, go deeper.

1. Start in quiet areas such as empty parking lots to learn steering, braking and backing.
2. Move to residential streets, then busier roads and highways as your skills grow.
3. Practise in different conditions: night, rain, snow and gravel or grid roads.
4. Practise the skills the road test checks, including parallel parking, two-point turns, lane changes and shoulder checks.
5. Record each session in the Practice Log from your instructor or SGI.

Common mistakes

• Choosing a supervisor who is still in the GDL program. Novice drivers cannot supervise.
• Driving alone as a learner. Driving unaccompanied is an offence and can lead to impoundment for a repeat offence.
• Practising only in good weather on familiar roads.
• Forgetting the Driver Education Certificate on road test day when no training record is on file.

Test yourself: Supervised practice and driver education in Saskatchewan

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• IPDE and Eye Lead Time
• How to Get a Driver’s Licence in Saskatchewan
• Saskatchewan Novice 1 and Novice 2 Rules