Safer Driver Training and Farm Truck Rules

Summary#

This bill updates several Manitoba laws about driving, vehicles, and auto insurance. Its main goals are to protect students who pay for driver training, clarify what farm trucks can be used for, modernize registration terms, and expand counselling support after serious crashes.

• Driver training schools must use written contracts (for certain classes to be set by regulation), provide clear fee and refund info, allow a short cooling-off period, avoid false ads, file yearly reports, and appear in a public online registry.
• Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) can reimburse counselling costs for family members and people who witness serious crashes (for accidents after the start date).
• Farm trucks get clearer rules on what they can carry, when they can carry passengers, and when limited personal use is allowed; towing a trailer counts as transporting property.
• The definition and use of “antique” vehicles will be set in regulations, giving the government flexibility to adjust rules.
• Wording across laws shifts from “registration certificate” to “proof of registration.” The law takes effect on a date the government sets.

What it means for you#

• Learner drivers and families

  • You will sign a written contract for certain types of driver training (to be listed in regulations).
  • You can cancel within seven days or before lessons start, whichever comes first, and get your money back after returning any materials.
  • Schools must post course details, all fees, and refund policies in a clear way you can see before you pay.
  • You can look up permitted driver training schools in a public online registry.

• Driving instructors and schools

  • You must use written contracts with required terms and a clear cancellation notice (for classes set in regulation).
  • You must post course offerings, all fees, and your refund policy, and avoid false or misleading advertising.
  • Each year, you must give the registrar your financial statements and program information.
  • Your school will be listed in a public online registry.
  • Going forward, your school is regulated under The Drivers and Vehicles Act instead of The Private Vocational Institutions Act for new courses. Older courses keep following the old rules until they end.

• Farmers and farm families

  • You, your family members, or your employees may use a farm truck to carry your farm’s goods (including livestock) and supplies.
  • You may carry passengers in a farm truck.
  • Limited personal use is allowed if the truck’s registered gross weight is under 5,500 kg and the property is not for a separate business.
  • You may tow a trailer as part of transporting property.
  • You cannot haul milk or eggs for another farmer, and you can only haul another farmer’s livestock in limited cases (to or from a farm, pasture, or fair) and only if the vehicle weight stays under 13,500 kg.

• Antique vehicle owners

  • What counts as an “antique” vehicle and how, when, and where it may be driven will be set by regulation. Check for new rules after they are issued.

• All drivers and off-road vehicle owners

  • Keep proof of registration with you as required. The wording changes, but your duty to show registration stays the same.

• People affected by serious crashes

  • If you are a family member of someone seriously hurt or killed, or you witnessed a serious crash or its aftermath, you may get your counselling costs reimbursed by MPI (subject to regulations).
  • MPI may pay you back or pay the counselling provider directly.
  • This applies only to accidents that happen after the law takes effect.

• Timing

  • The law starts on a date set by the government. The new contract and cancellation rules do not apply to courses that began before that date.

Expenses#

Estimated cost: No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Protects students with clear contracts, upfront fees, and a simple way to cancel and get refunds.
• Increases transparency and trust through public listings and annual reporting by driver training schools.
• Supports mental health for families and witnesses affected by severe crashes by covering counselling.
• Updates farm truck rules to better match everyday farm use while keeping key limits.
• Modernizes language and systems (proof of registration) to reduce confusion.
• Lets the government adjust antique vehicle rules more easily as needs change.

Opponents' View#

• Adds paperwork and costs for small driver training schools (contracts, public postings, financial statements, annual reports).
• Counselling coverage for non-victims could raise MPI claim costs and, over time, put pressure on insurance premiums.
• Moving antique vehicle details to regulations may create uncertainty for owners until rules are set.
• Broader farm truck permissions could blur the line between farm and commercial use, making enforcement harder.
• Many details depend on future regulations, so people may not know exactly how the rules will work right away.