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Bell: Danielle Smith, don't blink — clamp down on bad Alberta drivers getting licenses

Tougher testing to get an Alberta driver licence. This is a no-brainer

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It is music to my ears when I hear Devin Dreeshen, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s mince-no-words main man on all things transportation, say he was willing to try to tackle the epidemic of bad driving.

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That was my last column. This is the column where I agree with Dreeshen.

Yes, it is a brutal fact there are people in this province who clearly do not know how to drive and yet they are driving and hold a licence from the government of Alberta.

They appear to not even know the basic rules of the road.

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You have witnessed these folks struggling behind the wheel, especially if you live in the cities.

We are not talking about drivers who speed, drivers who are reckless, drivers who try to intimidate other drivers on the road, the tailgaters and road ragers.

Hopefully, the police will get to them in due course.

We are talking about whether people taking the knowledge test and the road test and pass and get a licence are safe to be on the roads because they understand the rules of the road.

This past long weekend, Dreeshen talked about how 400,000-plus drivers have come to Alberta over the past six years.

There are two tests on the way to a Class 5 licence.

First off, Alberta recognizes licences from many European countries as well as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

For these countries you can get an Alberta licence without taking a knowledge or road test.

Otherwise, take the tests.

The multiple choice knowledge test is available in 25 languages and if you pay for a government-approved translator you can be served in another language beyond the 25 languages being offered.

The list of 25 includes Oromo and Amharic and other well-known languages.

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Dreeshen, the Alberta transportation minister, clearly would like to see toughening up of driver testing.

It seems to be so obvious but governments don’t always do the obvious because it’s like … obvious.

He asks the question.

Should the knowledge test be English only?

All other knowledge tests, for Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and air brake endorsement are English only.

Dreeshen asks another question.

Should you have to get a higher grade to pass the knowledge test and the all-important road test?

Should what’s on the knowledge test and the all-important road test be tougher?

Psst … that includes people knowing how to parallel park, a skill sorely lacking on the city streets of Calgary?

Dreeshen suggests possible audits of the testing to make sure the examining is up to the highest standards.

So far who is going to object?

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Who will march on the legislature demanding the government not tighten up on driver testing?

Down with Tougher Driver Testing! Tougher Driving Test is Fascism!

Just doesn’t look good on a protest sign.

It’s not going to be the Calgary cops objecting. Their chief already sees the number of collisions and deaths as a big, big issue.

It’s not going to be supporters of the opposition NDP.

When bus driver Brian Mason was the roads boss in the former NDP government led by Rachel Notley, he said the driver exams were a Wild West system not serving Albertans and the province would take over the testing.

At the time it was reported some examiners were passing drivers who did poorly on their test.

When the UCP came in, they turned testing back over to examiners contracted by the registries.

The UCP did promise proper oversight. It sure looks like Dreeshen wants to deliver on that promise.

After all, he was the one willing to deal with abuse of the Class 1 licence, the big trucks.

He ordered inspections and investigations and closed driver training schools, took away instructor licences, levelled fines and warned driver examiners.

The Alberta transportation department now is seriously considering ensuring a person have a valid Class 5 licence for at least two years before they can go for their Class 1 and handle those big trucks.

Get some winter driving under your belt.

This action was widely praised for what it was. Action. Walk not talk.

One would hope there is no one in the provincial government who acts as if they would rather be employed by the Weather Channel because they are always trying to figure out which way the wind is blowing before they do something.

This is governing. With every move somebody’s nose is going to be out of joint.

Where is the provincial government going from here?

Are they now going to talk to police, the registries, the driver examiners, the Alberta Motor Association and do a little of their own probing to flesh out a plan?

We expect to hear more from the Danielle Smith government sooner rather than later.

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