Category: Canada

Photo: P199, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Driving in fog in Canada: slow down gradually, use your low-beam headlights (plus fog lights if you have them), leave a bigger gap and use the right edge of the road as your guide. If the fog gets too thick, pull completely off the road into a safe parking area and turn on your hazard lights. Never stop in a travel lane. That is the advice in Ontario’s MTO handbook, and the other provincial handbooks say much the same.

This guide covers fog, rain, hydroplaning and flooded roads. Snow, ice and whiteouts are in our winter driving guide.

Driving in fog: do and don’t

Ontario’s first advice is to avoid driving in fog: check the forecast and delay your trip if there is a fog warning. If you are caught in it:

Do

• Slow down gradually to a speed that suits the conditions.
• Turn on your full lighting system and use low beams. High beams reflect off the water droplets and make it harder to see.
• Use fog lights if your car has them, in addition to low beams.
• Increase your following distance and avoid passing, changing lanes or crossing traffic.
• Follow the right edge of the road rather than the centre line.
• Cut distractions, keep windows and mirrors clear, and use the defroster and wipers.

Don’t

• Stop on the travelled part of the road. Ontario warns you could become the first link in a chain-reaction collision.
• Speed up suddenly when the fog seems to clear. You may drive straight back into it.
• Speed up to pass a slow vehicle or to get away from a tailgater.

When to pull off

If visibility is dropping fast or the fog is too dense to continue, Ontario says pull completely off the road into a safe parking area, keep your low beams on and add your hazard lights. Other handbooks add:

• Saskatchewan: if you have slowed down and still cannot see 12 seconds ahead, get off the road as soon as you safely can.
• Nova Scotia: pull as far off as possible, secure the vehicle, turn on the flashers, leave from the passenger side and stay away from the road.
• Manitoba: if you are driving well below the speed limit, turn on your hazard lights so others know you are slow.

When must headlights be on in poor visibility?

Most provinces set a visibility distance below which headlights are required, not just at night.

Daytime running lights are not enough in fog. Ontario says they must not be used as headlights in poor light, and on many cars they do not switch on the tail lights. For other provinces, check your provincial handbook.

Driving in rain

The first few minutes of rain are the most dangerous. PEI’s handbook explains why: the first drops loosen oil and dirt on the road and create a slippery film. Saskatchewan says roads are most slippery in the first 10 minutes of a storm; Nova Scotia says the first 10 to 15 minutes, especially after a dry spell.

• Slow down and drive so you can stop within the distance you can see (Ontario).
• Leave more space. Nova Scotia recommends four or more seconds of following distance in rain. More space also keeps you out of the spray from the vehicle ahead.
• Make only small, gentle movements with the brake, gas and steering (Saskatchewan).
• Use low beams and make sure your wiper blades clear the glass without streaking. Replace them if they do not.
• Avoid puddles: Ontario notes they can hide potholes, drench pedestrians, stall the engine and make your brakes less effective.

In Quebec, the government’s speed limit guidance says to slow down whenever visibility is reduced by darkness, fog, rain or snow, and SAAQ’s driving course material recommends low beams when rain or fog reduces visibility. Check the SAAQ guide for its full “special conditions” chapter.

What is hydroplaning and what do you do?

Hydroplaning (also called aquaplaning) happens when your tires ride up on a film of water and lose contact with the road. You lose the ability to brake, accelerate or steer properly.

PEI adds that when the water is deeper than your tread, complete hydroplaning can be expected at 80 to 90 km/h.

If you hydroplane

1. Take your foot off the accelerator and let the car slow down (PEI). PEI warns that even a slight turn or a gust of wind can start an uncontrollable skid.
2. Keep the wheel steady. If you are only partly hydroplaning, you should be able to correct a skid as normal.
3. If you are fully hydroplaning, PEI says all you can do is release the accelerator and ride it out until the tires grip again.

How to prevent it

• Good tires with deep tread let water escape from under the tire (Ontario, PEI).
• Slow down when roads are wet (Nova Scotia, Ontario).
• Keep tires properly inflated. Nova Scotia lists improper tire pressure as a factor.

Flooded roads and washouts

Ontario’s advice is simple: avoid driving on flooded roads, because water may stop your brakes from working. Water depth is hard to judge, so do not rely on a number you have heard elsewhere. The safest choice is the one Ontario gives: find another route.

If you had to drive through water

• Ontario: test your brakes afterwards when safe by stopping quickly and firmly at 50 km/h. The car should stop straight and the pedal should feel firm, not spongy. If it still pulls or feels spongy once dry, get it repaired immediately.
• Manitoba: test the brakes lightly after deep water. Dry them by driving slowly and applying them lightly.
• Nova Scotia: if the brakes are not responding normally in rain, press the brake gently with your left foot while keeping light pressure on the gas with your right, until they work normally.

If a vehicle ends up in water, Manitoba’s handbook says occupants have only about one minute to get out: undo seatbelts, open or break a window and get out straight away, sending children first.

Province-by-province: where to read more

• Ontario: MTO handbook, “Driving at night and in bad weather”.
• Quebec: SAAQ driver’s guide, special conditions section.
• Nova Scotia: Driver’s Handbook chapter 5, “Adverse Driving Conditions”.
• PEI: Driver’s Handbook chapter 4, “Highway, Weather and Visibility Conditions”.
• Manitoba: see our Manitoba poor driving conditions guide.
• Everywhere else: check your provincial handbook for its weather chapter.

For what to do if your car skids or breaks down in bad weather, see car emergencies in Canada. For night glare and high beams, see night driving in Canada. For the full licensing path, start with learning to drive in Canada.

Sources

• Government of Ontario, “The Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Driving at night and in bad weather” (ontario.ca)
• Government of Ontario, “The Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Getting ready to drive” (ontario.ca)
• Government of Prince Edward Island, “Driver’s Handbook” (princeedwardisland.ca)
• Government of Nova Scotia, “Driver’s Handbook” (novascotia.ca)
• SGI, “Saskatchewan Driver’s Handbook” (sgi.sk.ca)
• Manitoba Public Insurance, “Manitoba Driver’s Handbook: Reduced Visibility, Wet Brakes, Vehicle Plunging into Water” (apps.mpi.mb.ca)
• ICBC, “Learn to Drive Smart” (icbc.com)
• Alberta King’s Printer, “Use of Highway and Rules of the Road Regulation, AR 304/2002” (kings-printer.alberta.ca)
• Government of the Northwest Territories, “NWT Driver’s Manual: Basic” (idmv.inf.gov.nt.ca)
• Gouvernement du Québec, “Speed limits” (quebec.ca)
• SAAQ, “In-Car Session Workbook” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
• Government of Nova Scotia, “Using the Road Regulations” under the Traffic Safety Act, in force 19 October 2026, sections 2, 72 and 76 (novascotia.ca)

Photo: Michael Gil, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If your brakes fail in Canada, the Ontario MTO handbook says to pump the brake pedal to try to restore pressure, then apply the parking brake gently but firmly while holding the release button. Saskatchewan’s SGI handbook says the opposite about pumping: on a modern dual-circuit system, do not pump, push the pedal much harder, use the parking brake without locking the rear wheels and shift to a lower gear. Every handbook agrees on the last step: once you are stopped, do not drive on. Call for help.

That split is a good reminder that provincial handbooks do not always agree. This guide sets out what each one says for the common car emergencies, so you can learn your own province’s version for the knowledge test and know why the advice differs.

What to do if your brakes fail

Total brake failure is rare. The SGI and NWT manuals both explain that cars have a two-circuit (dual-circuit) hydraulic system, so if one half fails the other still gives some stopping power. You will usually see the brake warning light and feel that you need to push much harder.

Whatever your handbook says, two points are shared: get the car stopped off the road, and do not drive it again until a qualified technician has checked the brakes.

Threshold braking vs ABS braking

Threshold braking means braking as hard as you can without locking the wheels, so you can still steer. It is mainly a technique for cars without anti-lock brakes (ABS).

Without ABS

• Ontario: brake as hard as you can until a wheel starts to lock, ease off slightly to release it, then press again. Do not pump. Keep going until you reach the speed you want.
• Saskatchewan: the SGI handbook adds shifting to neutral (or pressing the clutch) first, then tracking the point just before lock-up until you stop. It warns the technique is almost impossible if you panic, and describes four-wheel lock braking as the fallback.
• Manitoba: steady pressure without locking the wheels.
• NWT: steady, hard pressure short of locking, easing off if the wheels lock.

With ABS

• Ontario: press the pedal hard and let the system control wheel lock-up. Expect pulsing in the pedal and do not release it. ABS is there to help you keep steering, so don’t count on it to stop you sooner; that depends on the car and the surface.
• NWT: apply steady hard pressure; do not pump.
• Saskatchewan: with ABS, brake hard and steer where you want to go.
• Manitoba: check your owner’s manual, as the amount of steering control varies by system.

Not sure if your car has ABS? Look for the ABS light on the dashboard when you start the car, or check the owner’s manual. See our car controls guide for the warning lights.

If the accelerator sticks

1. Ontario: try to lift the pedal by slipping your foot under it. Never reach down with your hands while moving.
2. Turn on your hazard lights and shift to neutral (Ontario) or neutral / press the clutch (Saskatchewan).
3. Slow down and stop as soon as it is safe, preferably off the road.
4. Turn off the ignition. SGI says you can then try to free the pedal with your feet. Ontario says not to drive away and to call for help.

If a tire blows out

A blow-out causes strong steering pull and vibration. The handbooks agree on the core steps:

• Hold the wheel firmly and keep looking and steering where you want to go.
• Take your foot off the gas and let the car slow down. NWT: resist the urge to brake straight away. Manitoba: brake only once speed has dropped enough to keep control.
• SGI adds that gentle braking improves stability, and that a rear blow-out can make the back fishtail: do not over-correct.
• Manitoba: if the blow-out pushes you onto the shoulder, do not try to get back onto the pavement; let the car coast to a stop.
• Stop well off the road and turn on your hazard lights before changing the tire.

If your headlights fail at night

• Check the headlight switch (Ontario, NWT) and the dimmer switch (SGI).
• If they stay out, turn on your hazard lights (SGI also mentions parking lights).
• Slow down while holding your course, then pull off the road in a safe place and call for help. Ontario reminds you it is illegal to drive at night without lights.

If your wheels go off the pavement

This is where learners most often make things worse by jerking the wheel. The handbooks agree: do less, not more.

1. Grip the wheel firmly and do not panic.
2. Take your foot off the gas. Avoid heavy braking; if you must brake, do it gently (NWT, Manitoba).
3. Steer straight along the shoulder while you slow down. Do not try to get straight back on.
4. When you are slow, in control and the road is clear, steer back on. SGI describes turning the wheel left and almost immediately counter-steering as the front wheel comes onto the road, then straightening. Ontario says be ready to correct your steering once all wheels are back on.
5. Manitoba warns not to overshoot the centre line as you return.

SGI adds one exception: if you leave the road at a critical spot, such as just before a bridge, treat the return like an emergency lane change: steer, counter-steer, straighten.

Going into a ditch

The SGI handbook is the only one with a ditch section. Its advice: do not brake hard, do not turn the wheel sharply and do not try to climb back onto the road, because those actions cause rollovers. Instead, drive down the ditch, steering gently down the slope, staying off the brake and easing off the gas. It says the main cause of rollovers is trying to return to the road too early, and a tow is a small price compared with rolling the car.

If you break down on a highway

Here the handbooks give genuinely different advice on staying in the car.

The difference makes sense: on a patrolled freeway with traffic passing close by, Ontario prefers you stay belted in a locked car; the NWT manual has occupants wait at a safe spot away from the vehicle. Follow your own province’s handbook for the test, and use judgment on the day. In winter, staying with the vehicle for warmth matters: see winter driving in Canada.

Quick comparison: who says what

BC, Manitoba and other provinces

• British Columbia: ICBC’s chapter on emergency strategies is covered in emergency strategies for BC drivers.
• Manitoba: the MPI handbook covers blow-outs, running off the pavement, emergency braking and disabled vehicles as summarized above.
• Quebec, the Atlantic provinces, Yukon and Nunavut: check your provincial handbook. The principles above (stay calm, ease off the gas, steer smoothly, stop well off the road) are common to the provincial handbooks.

Practise before you need it

Ontario suggests new drivers practise a parking-brake emergency stop and ABS emergency braking with a qualified driving instructor under controlled conditions. That is safer than finding out how your car reacts on a highway. After any emergency involving a collision, see collision reporting rules by province, and for the full licensing path start at learning to drive in Canada.

Sources

• Government of Ontario, “The Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Dealing with emergencies” (ontario.ca)
• Government of Ontario, “The Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Driving at night and in bad weather” (ontario.ca)
• SGI, “Saskatchewan Driver’s Handbook” (sgi.sk.ca)
• Government of the Northwest Territories, “NWT Driver’s Manual: Basic” (idmv.inf.gov.nt.ca)
• Manitoba Public Insurance, “Manitoba Driver’s Handbook: Blowouts, Running off the Pavement, Emergency Braking, Disabled Vehicle” (apps.mpi.mb.ca)
• Government of Alberta, “Driver guides” (alberta.ca)
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Light Vehicle Antilock Brake System Research Program, Task 4” (nhtsa.gov)

Photo: Derek Hatfield, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Having ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression or another mental health condition does not by itself stop you getting a driver’s licence in Canada. Under the national CCMTA standard, as published by RoadSafetyBC, you may be eligible if your condition is stable, you have enough insight to stop driving if it becomes acute, and your driving abilities are not impaired. Declare the condition if your application asks, and the licensing office decides case by case.

This page explains licensing rules only. Your doctor, psychiatrist or care team is the right person to advise on your treatment and whether you are ready to drive.

The general standard for psychiatric conditions

• Eligible if: the condition is stable, you have sufficient insight to stop driving if it becomes acute, and your driving abilities are not impaired.
• Returning to driving: if you stopped because of a psychiatric condition, you need your treating physician’s support to start again.
• Stop and report: BC says a licence holder must stop driving and report to RoadSafetyBC if hospitalized for a mental health issue, or if their mental health deteriorates or relapses.
• Reassessment: set case by case. After a psychotic episode, RoadSafetyBC may reassess every year until the physician reports no further episodes.

Condition by condition

Medication and driving

Psychotropic medicines can affect driving through drowsiness, slower reactions and effects on thinking. The national standard on drugs says using a psychotropic medicine does not by itself make you ineligible, but a driver cannot compensate for its effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how your medicine affects you, especially when you start it or change the dose. The drug rules for novices are in Medical cannabis and new drivers in Canada.

Will my doctor report me?

Only if they believe your condition makes driving dangerous, and the duty differs by province. In Ontario, acute psychosis or suicidal plans involving a vehicle are among the high-risk conditions that can lead to suspension. In BC, a report is mandatory only if a patient keeps driving after being warned. See Does your doctor have to report you?

Help with the knowledge test

If reading, focus or test anxiety is the bigger hurdle, most provinces offer oral tests, extra time or other accommodations. These are covered in Drivers with disabilities: learning to drive, test accommodations and adapted vehicles in Canada.

Practical tips for practice drives

• Start with short, quiet routes and build up, and agree hand signals or words with your supervisor for “I need to stop”.
• If you feel overwhelmed while driving, pull over safely. Stopping is always allowed.

Related: RoadSafetyBC medical fitness. Back to the hub: Driving with a medical condition or disability in Canada.

Sources

• Government of British Columbia, “Chapter 14: Psychiatric disorders”, RoadSafetyBC medical standards (gov.bc.ca)
• Government of British Columbia, “Chapter 15: Drugs, alcohol and driving”, RoadSafetyBC medical standards (gov.bc.ca)
• Government of Ontario, “Reporting a driver for medical review” (ontario.ca)
• Government of British Columbia, Motor Vehicle Act, section 230 (bclaws.gov.bc.ca)

Photo: Jerry "Woody", CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Accessible parking permits in Canada are issued province by province, not nationally. In Ontario you apply to ServiceOntario and the permit is free. In Alberta you take an approved form to a registry agent. In British Columbia the permit is run by SPARC BC, a non-profit. In every case a health professional must certify that your condition limits your mobility, and the permit belongs to you, not to a car, so it can be used in a learner’s car when you are the driver or passenger.

Ontario, Alberta and BC compared

In Prince Edward Island, accessible spaces are marked by an approved sign or blue paint, and no one may stop, stand or park in one unless the vehicle shows a valid accessible parking permit or plate.

Who qualifies?

Ontario

A regulated health practitioner must certify a condition that limits your mobility. Examples include needing a brace, cane, crutch or wheelchair, needing help to walk, severe lung disease, needing portable oxygen, certain heart conditions, severely limited walking because of arthritic, neurological, musculoskeletal or orthopaedic conditions, and serious vision impairment.

Alberta

You may qualify if you cannot walk more than 50 metres (164 feet), or have a loss of vision that substantially limits safe and independent mobility in parking areas.

British Columbia

SPARC BC lists mobility limitations such as needing extra width to get in and out of a vehicle in a wheelchair, using a cane or other mobility aid, or being unable to walk far because of a health condition. You do not need to own a car.

How to apply

Ontario

1. Get the form from a ServiceOntario centre or online.
2. Complete Part A yourself; a regulated health practitioner completes Part B.
3. Submit with ID showing your full name, date of birth and signature, online, by mail or in person.

Ontario says online and mail applications take up to 3 weeks.

Alberta

1. Complete the parking placard application (REG3164).
2. Have an authorized health care provider approve it.
3. Take it to a registry agent with ID within 6 months of the provider signing it.

British Columbia

Download the application from SPARC BC or apply through its website. Motorcycle users and organizations apply by phone.

Quebec and other provinces

In Quebec, the parking sticker for persons with disabilities is issued by the SAAQ. Check eligibility, fee and validity with the SAAQ directly. Other provinces and territories run their own schemes through their licensing or municipal offices.

Can a learner driver use the permit?

Yes, if the permit holder is in the car. In Ontario the permit is issued to a person, not a vehicle, and the named holder must be the driver or a passenger going to or from the parking space. So a learner with a permit can display it in a practice car, and a parent with a permit can use it when they are a passenger supervising a lesson.

What you cannot do is use it without the holder. Ontario prohibits parking in an accessible space while waiting to drop off or pick up the holder, and misuse can bring a fine of up to $5,000 and seizure of the permit.

Travelling to another province

Alberta accepts valid placards from other provinces, territories and countries, and can issue a temporary visitor placard if you forgot yours, to be returned before you leave. Ontario also issues a traveller’s permit, valid for 12 months or the remaining life of your permit, whichever is shorter.

Related: Drivers with disabilities: learning to drive in Canada. Back to the hub: Driving with a medical condition or disability in Canada.

Sources

• Government of Ontario, “Get an accessible parking permit” (ontario.ca)
• Government of Alberta, “Get a parking placard for people with disabilities” (alberta.ca)
• SPARC BC, “Parking permits” (sparc.bc.ca)
• Government of Prince Edward Island, “Highway Traffic Act” (princeedwardisland.ca)

Photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Every Canadian province and territory checks your eyesight before it gives you a learner’s licence. The screen is quick and is usually done by licensing staff at an in-person licensing visit (where the knowledge test can be taken online, the eye check is still done in person), and you wear your glasses or contacts if you need them. If you do not pass, you are usually referred to an optometrist or ophthalmologist for a report, not refused outright. If you pass only with correction, your licence will say you must wear it.

What the screen usually checks

• Sharpness (acuity): reading letters at a distance.
• Field of vision: how wide you can see without moving your eyes.
• Colour: telling traffic-light colours apart.
• Depth or distance judgment, and in some provinces double vision.

ICBC in British Columbia, for example, lists colour vision, depth perception, field of vision, double vision and sharpness of vision. The national CCMTA car standard behind these screens is 20/50 with both eyes and 120 degrees of horizontal field; see Canadian driving vision standard explained. Some provinces publish a stricter screening line, shown below.

Province by province

Screening lines and forms change. Check your provincial licensing site before your appointment.

If you do not pass the vision screen

1. You are given a form or referral for an eye examination.
2. An optometrist or ophthalmologist examines you and completes the report.
3. The licensing office reviews the report against the standard and decides whether to issue the licence, add a condition, or ask for more testing.

A referral is not a refusal: often the report simply confirms you meet the standard with new or updated lenses. Who pays for the eye examination depends on your province and age, so ask the clinic.

Corrective lens conditions

If you need glasses or contacts to pass, your licence carries a condition. In British Columbia this is code 21, “corrective lenses required”. Other provinces use their own codes. Driving without your correction breaks a licence condition.

Before you go: checklist

• Wear or bring the glasses or contacts you drive with.
• If you have a known eye condition, declare it on the application and bring any recent eye report.
• If you have had an eye test recently and been told you are close to the line, consider a check-up first.

Related: Ontario vision standard and telescopic lenses and RoadSafetyBC medical fitness. Back to the hub: Driving with a medical condition or disability in Canada.

Want to practise the eyesight check? Our sister site Driving Eyesight Test has a free Canada letter chart on drivingeyesighttest.com. It is a practice screen only, not an eye test.

Sources

• Government of Ontario, “Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Getting your driver’s licence” (ontario.ca)
• ICBC, “Preparing for your driver licensing tests” (MV2022) and “Learn to Drive Smart, Chapter 9: Your licence” (icbc.com)
• Government of British Columbia, “New drivers in B.C. can now take first knowledge test online” (news.gov.bc.ca)
• Government of British Columbia, “Chapter 22: Vision”, RoadSafetyBC medical standards (gov.bc.ca)
• Government of Alberta, “Class 7 learner’s licence” (alberta.ca)
• SGI, “Your test” and “Saskatchewan Driver’s Handbook” (sgi.sk.ca)
• Manitoba Public Insurance, “Driver’s Handbook: Graduated Driver Licensing” (mpi.mb.ca)
• Government of New Brunswick, “Written and road tests” and driver licence requirements (gnb.ca)
• Service Nova Scotia, “Learner’s (Beginner’s) Licence” (novascotia.ca)
• Government of Nova Scotia, “Health professionals”, vision standards following the Traffic Safety Act commencement on 19 October 2026 (novascotia.ca)
• Government of Nova Scotia, “Take a driver knowledge test: Learner’s Licence (class 7)” (novascotia.ca)
• Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Motor Registration Division, “Licence Application Process” (gov.nl.ca)
• Government of Yukon, “Get a driver’s licence” (yukon.ca)
• Government of the Northwest Territories, “Get a driver’s licence for the first time” (idmv.inf.gov.nt.ca)
• Government of Nunavut, driver licensing information (gov.nu.ca)

Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A medical cannabis authorization does not let you drive impaired anywhere in Canada. The federal Criminal Code THC limits apply to every driver. On top of that, most provinces set zero tolerance for drugs for new drivers. Ontario is the one province confirmed here to exempt medical cannabis users from its zero-tolerance drug rule, and even there you can still be charged if your driving is impaired. Everywhere else, assume zero means zero until your licensing office tells you otherwise.

This page covers the law, not treatment. Talk to the doctor who authorized your cannabis about how it affects you.

Federal THC limits for all drivers

A second offence carries at least 30 days in jail and a third at least 120 days. Refusing a demand for a sample carries a minimum $2,000 fine for a first offence. The Department of Justice page sets out these limits with no exception for medical users.

Zero tolerance for new drivers

Provinces add their own rules for learners and novices. The list of which provinces set zero drugs for new drivers is in Impaired driving in Canada for new drivers. In short, Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, PEI, New Brunswick and Yukon set zero drugs for new drivers, and Saskatchewan sets zero drugs for everyone.

Does a medical authorization exempt a novice driver?

Ontario: yes from zero tolerance, no from impairment

Ontario’s zero-tolerance drug rule covers drivers who are 21 or under, anyone with a G1, G2, M1 or M2 licence, and commercial drivers. They cannot have any cannabis in their system as detected by a federally approved screening device. Ontario states that if you have a valid medical cannabis prescription you “will not be subject to the zero tolerance drug requirements”, but you can still face penalties and criminal charges if your ability to drive is impaired.

Other provinces

Check with your provincial licensing office whether any medical exemption from novice zero-tolerance rules applies. Before you drive as a learner while using medical cannabis, ask your provincial licensing office (ICBC or RoadSafetyBC, Alberta Transportation, the SAAQ and so on) in writing how its rule applies to you.

What the medical standard says about cannabis

RoadSafetyBC’s chapter on drugs and driving, which follows the national standard, says:

• Medical cannabis users should be advised not to drive for at least five hours, and preferably at least 24 hours, after use.
• People who use more than about 1.5 grams (3 joints) a day should be counselled not to drive during those periods.
• Someone newly prescribed medical cannabis should not drive until the effect on them is known.

Prescription and over-the-counter medicines

• Using a psychotropic medicine does not automatically make you ineligible for a licence. The test is whether your driving abilities are impaired.
• The standard states plainly that a driver cannot compensate for the effects of psychotropic drugs.
• Sedatives and sleeping pills impair more at higher doses and when the drug lasts longer in the body.
• Read the label and ask your pharmacist whether a medicine affects driving. Combining any of these with alcohol or cannabis is riskier still.

Practical points for learners

• Never drive, even supervised, if you feel any effect.
• Do not consume cannabis in a vehicle that is being driven or will be driven. Ontario bans this outright.
• If your condition itself affects driving, see the condition guides in the Canada medical conditions hub, such as ADHD, anxiety and mental health or epilepsy.

Sources

• Department of Justice Canada, “Impaired Driving Laws” (justice.gc.ca)
• Government of Ontario, “Cannabis and driving” (ontario.ca)
• Government of Ontario, “Cannabis laws” (ontario.ca)
• Government of British Columbia, “Chapter 15: Drugs, alcohol and driving”, RoadSafetyBC medical standards (gov.bc.ca)

Photo: Anna Shvets, Pexels

To hold a car licence in Canada under the national CCMTA standard, you need visual acuity of at least 20/50 (6/15) with both eyes open and examined together, and a visual field of at least 120 continuous degrees along the horizontal, plus 15 continuous degrees above and below fixation. Glasses or contact lenses can be used to reach the standard. Telescopic (bioptic) lenses cannot, except in Ontario. You can drive with sight in one eye, and colour vision only matters in that you must be able to tell traffic lights apart.

This page explains the licensing standard, not eye health. Your optometrist or ophthalmologist is the person to ask about your own eyes.

The standard for a non-commercial licence

What happens if your acuity is close to the line?

British Columbia publishes how it applies the standard:

• Corrected acuity of 20/60 to 20/70 may lead to an on-road assessment.
• Worse than 20/70 may lead to an offer of a functional driving evaluation.
• Drivers at 20/40 or better are usually reassessed every two years; at 20/50 or worse, usually every year.

Provinces apply their own procedures. Nova Scotia’s current Class 5 to 8 standards use 20/50 (6/15) acuity with both eyes open and examined together, plus a field of 120 continuous degrees horizontally and 15 above and below fixation. Its October 2026 update supersedes the older handbook’s 20/40 figure. Ask RMV how it assesses your circumstances.

Driving with sight in one eye

If you have lost vision in one eye, you lose stereoscopic depth perception. The standard allows you to drive once you meet the acuity and field standards and enough time has passed to relearn how to judge distance. BC says this is typically 1 to 3 months, and it generally does not ask non-commercial drivers for more information.

Colour blindness

Colour blindness does not stop you getting a car licence. The only requirement is being able to tell traffic lights apart. BC generally asks for no further information.

Glasses and contact lenses: the restriction code

If you need correction to meet the standard, your licence carries a condition. In BC, code 21 means “corrective lenses required” (it also covers prism lenses), and code 51 means you must patch one eye while driving, used for some double-vision cases. Other provinces use their own codes. You must wear your correction every time you drive, including at the vision screen.

Bioptic telescopes

The national standard says low vision and telescopic lens aids “cannot be used to meet the vision standard”. BC notes that limited research suggests drivers using telescopic lenses have higher crash rates. Ontario is the exception: it has allowed telescopic lenses for a Class G licence since October 2020, with conditions. See Ontario vision standard, vision waiver and telescopic (bioptic) lenses.

Cataract, glaucoma and progressive conditions

• There is no separate licensing rule for cataract or glaucoma. What matters is whether you still meet the acuity and field standards.
• For progressive field conditions such as glaucoma or retinitis pigmentosa, BC reassesses with a field test, typically every 1 to 3 years.
• In Ontario, optometrists must report acuity below 20/50 or a field below the standard, which leads to a licence suspension. See Does your doctor have to report you?

Is the standard changing?

The CCMTA is reviewing the vision part of its standards. Until a new version is adopted and your province applies it, the figures above remain the reference. Check with your licensing office before your vision screen.

Where your vision is checked

Every province screens vision before issuing a learner’s licence. The details for each province are in Vision test for your learner’s licence in every Canadian province and territory. Quebec’s process is covered in SAAQ medical and vision reports.

Want to practise the eyesight check? Our sister site Driving Eyesight Test has a free Canada letter chart on drivingeyesighttest.com. It is a practice screen only, not an eye test.

Back to the hub: Driving with a medical condition or disability in Canada.

Sources

• Government of British Columbia, “Chapter 22: Vision”, RoadSafetyBC medical standards (gov.bc.ca)
• Government of Ontario, “Reporting a driver for medical review” (ontario.ca)
• Government of Nova Scotia, “Health professionals”, current vision standards following the Traffic Safety Act commencement (novascotia.ca)