On October 19, 2026, British Columbia will eliminate the second road test required to graduate from its Graduated Licensing Program (GLP). Eligible novice drivers will instead qualify for a Class 5 licence through a Driving Record Assessment, subject to restrictions that include zero blood-alcohol and zero blood-drug-content requirements for another 12 months.
The government says the change will maintain road safety while making licensing simpler and more accessible. It points to research suggesting that a clean driving record over time may predict future collision involvement better than performance on a single exit test.
But what did the research actually find?
What the research says
During legislative debate in October 2025, Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger referred to Australian research and the Graduated Driver Licensing Framework developed by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF).
The Australian research found that performance on an exit test predicted subsequent crashes, but a clean driving record during the two-year provisional period was more predictive. Combining the two measures produced the strongest predictive effect.
These findings support considering a driver’s behaviour over time. However, predicting future collisions and measuring driving competence are not the same thing. A measure can help identify risk without fully assessing someone’s ability to drive safely.
TIRF recognizes that a clean driving record can be used as an alternative to, or in addition to, an exit test. It also explains that an advanced road test can assess higher-order skills such as hazard perception, situational awareness and decision-making.
Although research on the safety benefits of advanced exit tests is limited, TIRF supports their use on logical grounds and recommends an advanced on-road or computer-based test for progression to a full, unrestricted licence. It also recognizes that a clean record may be an appropriate alternative for novice drivers who repeatedly fail a road test and eventually age out of the graduated licensing system.
The framework does not suggest that a clean record should always replace a practical assessment.
What does a driving record tell us?
In my experience in traffic enforcement, repeated offences can indicate persistent unsafe behaviour. Convictions for excessive speeding and electronic-device use, along with driving prohibitions and suspensions, provide relevant information about a driver’s conduct.
However, drivers may struggle with judging gaps in traffic, checking blind spots, maintaining lane position or recognizing developing hazards without ever receiving a conviction. Police cannot observe every driver, and not every unsafe action results in a collision or enforcement action.
A road test provides different information. It allows an examiner to observe a driver’s performance in actual traffic and assess specific skills and behaviours. Although it is only a limited sample and cannot guarantee future safety, it may reveal weaknesses that a driving record alone will not show.
Experience matters, too, but time behind the wheel does not automatically produce competence. Two novice drivers may hold their licences for the same period while accumulating very different amounts and types of experience. A driver who rarely drives may have little opportunity to develop or demonstrate competence, yet the absence of disqualifying convictions may allow that driver to progress.
How will B.C. measure the results?
The government has said it will monitor the changes using available data, including collision rates, licence completion and driving behaviours. A formal evaluation is planned at approximately the five-year mark.
General collision statistics, however, are not the same as an evaluation of this particular policy. A meaningful assessment should examine collision involvement among drivers who progress under the new system and compare the results with an appropriate baseline. Where possible, it should account for factors such as age, driving exposure and changes in traffic conditions.
The government has also argued that the change will reduce barriers for people in rural, remote and Indigenous communities who may need to travel considerable distances to take a road test. That is a legitimate consideration, as are the costs and practical challenges of maintaining licensing requirements.
The question is whether the new system works
The research supports considering a driver’s record over time, but it also identifies value in combining a clean record with an exit test. TIRF similarly recognizes the potential contribution of both approaches while acknowledging the limits of the available evidence.
B.C. has chosen to replace the second road test with a Driving Record Assessment. The important question is whether the revised system will effectively identify novice drivers who are not ready for greater driving privileges.
New drivers deserve a fair opportunity to develop their skills, and other road users deserve confidence that the licensing system takes reasonable steps to establish their readiness.
The government should publish the results of its evaluation and be prepared to reconsider its approach if the evidence does not support the intended safety outcomes. Road safety should be measured by what happens on our roads, not simply by how efficiently we issue licences.
Canonical URL: https://www.drivesmartbc.ca/icbc/driving-record-not-road-test
-- Tim Schewe Road Safety Advocate DriveSmartBC.ca
