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Ontario G1 overview

Ontario G1: Getting ready to drive

Seat belts and who is responsible, child car seats and booster seats, seat, head restraint and mirror adjustment, blind spots and pre-trip checks.

  • 26 questions
  • Topic drill
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Getting ready to drive · Question 1Score 0/0

How far ahead must your headlights be strong enough to light up objects?

Study reference: MTO Driver's Handbook (online edition, 2026), Ch. 2 Driving safely and responsibly — Getting ready to drive

All 26 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

  1. How far ahead must your headlights be strong enough to light up objects?

    1. 150 metres
    2. 60 metres
    3. 110 metres
    4. 200 metres

  2. A toddler weighs 15 kg and rides in a forward-facing car seat. Besides the seatbelt or UAS strap, what must be attached?

    1. A locking lap belt
    2. Nothing else is needed
    3. The seat's tether strap
    4. A second seatbelt

  3. Where is the safest place for a child under 13 to ride?

    1. In the back seat
    2. In any seat with an airbag
    3. In the front passenger seat
    4. In the cargo area

  4. When must your headlights be on, regardless of weather?

    1. One hour before sunset to one hour after sunrise
    2. Half an hour before sunset to half an hour after sunrise
    3. Fifteen minutes after sunset to sunrise
    4. From sunset until sunrise only

  5. How can you check that your seat is the right distance from the pedals?

    1. Press the gas pedal to the floor
    2. Put your feet flat under the brake pedal
    3. Touch the dashboard with your knees
    4. Fully straighten your arms on the wheel

  6. In most vehicles, where are the blind spots?

    1. Beside the front wheels only
    2. Directly ahead of the hood
    3. Directly behind the rear bumper
    4. Back left and back right

  7. Your 14-year-old nephew is riding with you and refuses to buckle up. Who is legally responsible?

    1. Your nephew
    2. No one; he is over 12
    3. You, the driver
    4. His parents

  8. A 7-year-old weighs 30 kg and is 146 cm tall. May he use a seatbelt instead of a booster?

    1. Yes, he meets the height criterion
    2. No, he must meet all three criteria
    3. No, he must be eight years old
    4. No, he must weigh 36 kg

  9. A driver is caught not wearing a seatbelt. Besides a fine, how many demerit points will the driver receive?

    1. 3
    2. 6
    3. 4
    4. 2

  10. As a novice driver, you carry more passengers than there are working seatbelts. What can happen to your licence?

    1. It is cancelled permanently, with no appeal
    2. It can be suspended for at least 30 days
    3. It can be suspended for 7 days
    4. You lose 2 demerit points only

  11. Your car has lane-keeping and automatic braking. Who is responsible for the driving tasks?

    1. You are, at all times
    2. The vehicle manufacturer
    3. You only when systems are off
    4. The car's assist systems

  12. How should you choose the recline angle for a rear-facing child car seat?

    1. Always set it to 60 degrees
    2. Use the angle range on the seat or in its manual
    3. Keep it upright at 90 degrees
    4. Use the same angle for every child and seat

  13. A 6-year-old weighs 25 kg, is 120 cm tall and has outgrown her forward-facing seat. What must she use?

    1. A rear-facing car seat
    2. A booster seat
    3. The adult seatbelt alone
    4. A lap belt only

  14. How should you set your head restraint?

    1. Centred behind your head
    2. Top of it level with your neck
    3. As low as it will go
    4. Removed for better view

  15. Where must you never place a rear-facing child car seat?

    1. In the back seat
    2. In front of an active airbag
    3. Behind the driver's seat
    4. In the middle of the back seat

  16. Your passenger puts the shoulder strap behind her back because it rubs her neck. What should she do?

    1. Tuck it under her arm
    2. Unbuckle it on short trips
    3. Leave it behind her back
    4. Wear it over her shoulder

  17. After installation, what is the maximum movement allowed at a child seat’s belt or UAS path?

    1. No more than 2.5 cm
    2. No more than 1 cm
    3. No more than 10 cm
    4. No more than 5 cm

  18. What is the only way to make sure no one is in your blind spot?

    1. Use your turn signal
    2. Turn your head to shoulder check
    3. Check both side mirrors very carefully
    4. Check the interior mirror

  19. Your seat has an active airbag. Do you still need to wear your seatbelt?

    1. Yes, airbags do not replace seatbelts
    2. Only if you sit in the back
    3. No, the airbag protects you in a crash
    4. Only on highways

  20. An older vehicle has only lap belts in every seating position. Under Ontario’s booster-seat exception, how is a child normally requiring a booster secured?

    1. In the booster with no belt
    2. On an adult's lap with the belt
    3. With the lap belt only, no booster
    4. In the booster with the lap belt

  21. How far in front of your vehicle should you be able to see the ground from the driver's seat?

    1. 4 metres
    2. 10 metres
    3. 15 metres
    4. 1 metre

  22. According to the MTO handbook, how much more protection do booster seats provide than seatbelts alone?

    1. 75 per cent more
    2. 90 per cent more
    3. 25 per cent more
    4. 60 per cent more

  23. Fog keeps you from clearly seeing vehicles 120 metres ahead in daytime. What must you do?

    1. Use your parking lights
    2. Turn on your headlights
    3. Use your hazard lights only
    4. Rely on daytime running lights

  24. How do you adjust the left outside mirror?

    1. Aim it at the road surface behind
    2. Lean to the centre, then see the whole lane
    3. Lean to the window, then just see your car
    4. Sit up straight and see half of your car

  25. How should the lap part of a seatbelt be worn?

    1. Loosely over the thighs
    2. Low over the hips
    3. Across the stomach
    4. High across the waist

  26. An infant weighs 7 kg. What kind of car seat must be used?

    1. A forward-facing child car seat
    2. A rear-facing child car seat
    3. A booster seat
    4. An adult lap belt

Getting ready to drive: key rules to remember

Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗

Be physically and mentally alert

  • If you doubt your physical, mental or emotional state, vehicle or conditions, don't drive.
  • Fatigue slows thinking and makes you miss things; you may decide wrongly or too slowly in an emergency.
  • Strong emotions (upset, anger) reduce ability to think and react quickly.

Know your vehicle

  • Driver-assist technologies (steering, braking, accelerating help): you must stay ready to take over and remain responsible for all driving tasks.
  • A warning light that stays on after you drive away could mean a serious problem.
  • Learn wipers, washers, headlights, high beams, heater and defroster well enough to use without looking.

Get into position

  • Sit high enough to see over wheel and hood and see the ground 4 m in front; use a firm cushion if needed.
  • Upright, elbows slightly bent. Check: feet flat on the floor under the brake pedal without stretching.
  • Head restraint: back of the head directly in front of the middle of the headrest.
  • Don't overcrowd driving space with passengers or property.

Keep a clear view

  • Nothing in windows blocking view; no coating that stops you seeing out; windshield and front door windows must not be coated to stop people seeing in.

Find your blind spots

  • Blind spots in most vehicles: back left and back right.
  • Interior mirror: centre of mirror shows centre of rear window.
  • Left mirror: lean toward the window, adjust until you just see the rear of your car. Right mirror: lean to the centre of the vehicle, same check. Avoid overlap.
  • Shoulder checks are the only way to be sure blind spots are clear.
  • Learn your blind spots by watching someone walk around the car in your mirrors.

Fasten your seatbelt

  • Seatbelt required every trip in a vehicle with seatbelts; every passenger in own belt, car seat or booster.
  • Driver not buckled: fine and 2 demerit points. Driver can also be fined and get demerits if passengers under 16 aren't properly secured.
  • G1: only the accompanying driver in the front seat, with a seatbelt. Novice drivers must have a seatbelt for every passenger; failing that can mean losing the licence for at least 30 days.
  • Never more than one person per belt. Shoulder strap over shoulder (not under arm/behind back); lap belt low over hips.
  • Airbags don't replace seatbelts. Riding in a pickup box or towed trailer is unsafe.

Child safety

  • Correct child car seat cuts risk of injury/death by 75%.
  • Driver is responsible for all passengers under 16.
  • Seats must meet Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; vehicles with UAS don't need the seatbelt to secure the car seat. Booster needs a lap-and-shoulder belt.
  • Infant under 9 kg (20 lb): rear-facing seat, best in back; never in front of an active airbag.
  • Toddler 9–18 kg (20–40 lb): child seat secured by belt or UAS, plus tether strap to tether anchor. Children over 9 kg may stay rear-facing if seat fits them.
  • Ontario exempts vehicles with only lap belts from the booster-seat requirement. Use the lap belt alone under that exception, not a standard booster with a lap belt. Having lap belts only in the back seat does not by itself establish this exception; choose an appropriate child restraint and follow its instructions.
  • Unused booster: belt it in or remove it.
  • Child can move to seatbelt (if it fits properly) when ANY one is met: turns 8, weighs 36 kg (80 lb)+, or 145 cm+ tall.
  • Safest place for a child under 13: back seat. Never in front of an airbag that isn't turned off.
  • Secure loose objects (cargo nets, straps, trunk).
  • Used car seat: complete instructions/equipment, no damage, never in a collision, not recalled, within useful life.

Seatbelts and child car seats save lives

  • Installed car seat should move no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) at the belt/UAS path; press with a knee to tighten.
  • Locking clip where needed (see owner's manual).
  • Transport Canada says to use the recline-angle range marked on the specific seat or in its manual, appropriate for the child’s weight. Follow both the child-seat and vehicle instructions. A general 45-degree example does not replace the manufacturer’s requirements.
  • Forward-facing seat: also use the tether strap.

Turn on headlights at night and in poor conditions

  • Headlights: white light visible at least 150 m ahead, bright enough to light objects 110 m away. Red rear lights visible 150 m; white light on rear plate when headlights on.
  • Switch to low beams within 150 m of an oncoming vehicle; low beams when less than 60 m behind another vehicle unless passing; applies on all roads including divided.
  • Headlights required from half an hour before sunset to half an hour after sunrise, and when poor light keeps you from clearly seeing people/vehicles less than 150 m away.
  • Don't drive with one headlight or misaimed lights.
  • Parking lights only for parking. Daytime running lights are not headlights — they may not turn on tail lights; use only in good light.
  • Automatic lighting setting recommended where available.

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