DriveInOntario.caIf your teenager just got their G1, you're probably about to spend a lot of time in the passenger seat. The rules for accompanying a G1 driver apply to you, not just them — and getting them wrong isn't just a technicality, it can mean the drive itself isn't legal.
The legal requirements for you, the accompanying driver
To legally accompany a G1 driver, you must:
- Hold a full Class G licence (or higher) for at least 4 years. Time spent at the G2 level counts toward those 4 years, as long as the G2 licence was never suspended.
- Sit in the front passenger seat — and be the only other person allowed in the front seat while your G1 driver is behind the wheel.
- Keep your blood alcohol level under .05% while supervising — and if you're 21 or under yourself, it must be zero, same as any young driver in Ontario regardless of licence class.
- Have a licence that isn't suspended. Demerit points on your licence are fine; a suspension is not.
Every other person in the vehicle needs a working seatbelt — that applies at every licence level, not just G1.
What your G1 driver can't do, even with you there
A few restrictions apply to the G1 driver no matter how experienced you are as the accompanying driver:
- Zero blood alcohol, full stop — this one has no exceptions.
- No driving between midnight and 5 a.m.
- No 400-series highways with a posted speed limit over 80 km/h, and no specific high-speed routes like the QEW, Don Valley Parkway, Gardiner Expressway, E.C. Row Expressway, or Conestoga Parkway. The one exception: if the accompanying driver is a licensed driving instructor, these restrictions don't apply.
Knowing these upfront avoids the awkward moment of realizing mid-drive that you've planned a route that isn't actually allowed at G1.
Ready for the real thing?
Ready to see how this looks on the real test format?
Making practice drives actually productive
The legal rules are non-negotiable, but how the hour in the car actually goes is mostly up to you. A few things that consistently help:
Start in low-stakes environments. Empty parking lots and quiet residential streets before busier roads. There's no rush to get to highway-adjacent arterial roads in the first few sessions — confidence with the basics (steering, braking smoothly, mirror checks) makes everything after it easier.
Narrate less than you think you need to. A constant stream of corrections is overwhelming and makes it hard for a new driver to build their own judgment. Save feedback for after the drive is over, or for anything genuinely safety-critical in the moment — most other things can wait until you're parked.
Keep your own reactions in check. New drivers pick up on tension immediately, and a sharp intake of breath or a grab for the door handle can rattle them more than whatever prompted it. If something startles you, it's fine to calmly say so afterward — in the moment, staying visibly steady helps them stay steady too.
Practice the specific maneuvers, not just general driving. Parallel parking, three-point turns, and lane changes are all things new drivers avoid if left to their own devices, but they're exactly what the G2 road test covers. Our guides on parallel parking, three-point turns, and eventually highway merging walk through the technique step by step, so you're both working from the same instructions.
End sessions on a good note. A short, calm drive that ends while everyone's still relaxed builds more confidence than a long one that ends in frustration. It's fine to call it after 20 minutes if that's what today has in it.
Consider a few hours with a licensed driving instructor alongside your own practice time, even if you don't take a full course — a professional can spot technique issues that are hard to catch from the passenger seat, and it takes some pressure off you to be the only source of feedback.