According to the Ministry of Transportation of Quebec and the SAAQ, it is mandatory to pass the full Road Safety Education Program in order to be eligible for a Class 5 (passenger vehicle) driver’s license.
Click here to view the Official Road Safety Education Program PDF file, or click the boxes below for a more detailed breakdown of the entire program, by Phases and Modules.
Prerequisite for a learner's license
Duration: 5 weeks
Phase outline:
- This phase consists of 5 theoretical modules.
- Classes are held once a week.
- On the fifth theoretical module, the student must complete a test that is based on the whole phase.
- After passing the test, the student gets a certification from the driving school, which provides the opportunity to receive his Learner’s License from the SAAQ.
Module 1 - The vehicle
Duration: 2 hours
Module plan:
- The main characteristics of the car
- Security elements in the car
- Car controls
- What is eco-driving
Module 2 - The Driver
Duration: 2 hours
Module plan:
- Psychological portrait of the driver
- Driver characteristics (safety, responsibility, ability to cooperate with other drivers on the road)
- Norms and standards (legal, personal, social)
- What affects the formation of the young driver
Module 3 - The Environment
Duration: 2 hours
Module plan:
- Courtesy for other drivers on the road
- Basic traffic rules and regulations
- Sample questions on traffic rules and road situations
Module 4 - At-risk behavior
Duration: 2 hours
Module plan:
- Positive and negative aspects of risk
- Driving is a complex task
- Factors that compromise the ability to recognize the risk zone
Module 5 - Evaluation
Duration: 2 hours
Module plan:
- Summary of the material learned thus far
- Evaluation exam
Guided driving
Duration: minimum 2 months.
- This stage consists of 2 modules and 4 theoretical lessons.
- Under the full supervision of the driving instructor, the student acquires his first basic driving skills:
- Preparation for movement
- Smooth acceleration
- Smooth braking
- Maintaining a constant speed
- Turns
- Basics of proper road observation
Module 6 - Accompanied driving
Duration: 2 hours
Module plan:
- New drivers: accidents and fines
- Lack of experience = DANGER
- Who may accompany a novice driver
- Which roads can you safely practice on
Module 7 - OEA strategy
Duration: 2 hours
Module plan:
- Observe the the road environment
- Evaluate potential dangerous situations
- Act safely with the proper response
Semi-guided driving
Duration: minimum 3 months
- This phase consists of 3 theoretical modules and 6 practical training lessons.
- In the practical sessions, the student continues to refine his techniques and gradually starts driving independently.
- The student begins to see the situation on the road, to understand it, to make decisions and implement them.
- In these classes the students gain the following skills:
- Driving on various roads types with different speed limits
- Crossing intersections with stop signs and traffic lights
- Changing lanes
- Reverse parking
Module 8 - Speed
Duration: 2 hours
Module plan:
- What is the speed limit for?
- Problems caused by speed
- Novice drivers and speed
- Legal speed limit
- Penalties for abnormal speed
Module 9 - Sharing the road
Duration: 2 hours
Module plan:
- Characteristics of different road users
- Unprotected road users: pedestrians, cyclists, etc.
- Large vehicles: trucks, buses, etc.
- Special vehicles: police, ambulances, fire, etc.
Module 10 - Alcohol and drugs
Duration: 2 hours
Module plan:
- Intoxicated? do not get behind the wheel!
- The effects of alcohol on the human body
- Effects of alcohol and drugs on driving
- Alcohol, drugs and the law
Semi-guided to independent driving
Duration: minimum 2 months
- This phase consists of 2 theoretical modules and 5 practical sessions.
- In the practical training, the student hones his driving skills in a variety of driving situations, learning to make his own decisions and driving autonomously without verbal and physical intervention from the teacher.
- After the last 12 modules, and provided that it has been 10 months since the receipt of the Learner’s License, the student may take a theoretical exam at the SAAQ.
- Upon successful completion of the 15th module (in-car session), and provided that it has been 12 months since the receipt of the Learner’s License, the student receives another certification from the driving school and can then try to pass the practical exam at the SAAQ.
Module 11 - Fatigue and distractions
Duration: 2 hours
Module plan:
- Accidents caused by fatigue when driving
- Causes of fatigue
- Reinforcing factors
- Effects of fatigue
- Distraction while driving
- Factors provoking distraction
- Mobile phone while driving
- Distractions and the law
Module 12 - Eco-driving
Duration: 2 hours
Module plan:
- Definition of ecological driving
- Benefits of ecological driving
- Modes of transportation
- Car choices
- Car care
- Road behavior
