Young people becoming drivers. Most parents have their rules, like, "don't play the music too loud," and “don’t waste all the gas driving around with your friends,” or even, “keep the tires on the car!”

Since 2005, restrictions have also been placed on teen drivers by the Saskatchewan government.

Tyler McMurchy is Manager of Media Relations, Organization, and Communications with Saskatchewan Government Insurance.

“One of the things SGI does to try and help bring kids along, the young drivers, is the Graduated Driver’s Licensing Program,” said McMurchy. “That’s why you start out as a learner, you move to Novice 1 and Novice 2, as you gain more experience and you gain more driving skills.”

He said the purpose is to ensure drivers in those categories recognize their obligations and their limitations.

“If you’re a learner driver, you have to have that supervising driver alongside you,” he explained. “If you’re a Novice 1 or Novice 2 driver, there are limitations on the number of passengers and the times of day you can drive, as well.”

Young drivers get a gradual introduction to driving, being introduced to different driving situations gradually before they become a fully-licensed, experienced driver.

The program has been in place since September of 2005.

“It was designed to improve road safety by exposing new drivers to incremental levels of risk as they gain more experience in the driving environment,” said McMurchy.

While there are no restrictions specifically regarding the playing of music, something all new drivers of any age in the GLP, must be clear on is the zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol use, as well as cell phone use including Bluetooth.

“Experienced drivers aren’t allowed to hold, use, manipulate or view a cell phone, but if you have it mounted on your dash, you can use it voice-activated,” he explained. “New drivers aren’t even allowed to do that.”

When it comes to being distracted, using Bluetooth is akin to having other people in the car. With the GLP, depending on what level the new driver is at, the number of passengers in the car is limited.

See SGI’s full explanation HERE.