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Jason Tchir

FreelanceReporter

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Area of Expertise

Automotive

Jason is a columnist and car critic for the Globe and Mail's Drive section. He focuses on green mobility, road safety and trends in transportation. Previously, he wrote for the CBC and The Toronto Sun.

Latest articles

June 15, 2025

Roadside drug and alcohol testing. Traffic police officer pulls over a drunk male driver for the purpose of alcohol testing. Flat vector illustration template.

Roadside drug and alcohol testing. Traffic police officer pulls over a drunk male driver for the purpose of alcohol testing. Flat vector illustration template.

Can I legally drive with just a photo of my licence?

3 min read

June 8, 2025

People cycle and walk on the lakeshore path along Lake Ontario in Toronto in 2020.

People cycle and walk on the lakeshore path along Lake Ontario in Toronto in 2020.

If I’m on a trail and I hear a cyclist’s bell, should I get out of the way?

5 min read

June 1, 2025

Car on asphalt road on summer day at park. Automobile on highway

Car on asphalt road on summer day at park. Automobile on highway

Is it safe to take a summer road trip on winter tires?

4 min read

May 29, 2025

The Ioniq 9 has a 0.269 drag coefficient to help improve range and all versions come with more than 500 kilometres.

The Ioniq 9 has a 0.269 drag coefficient to help improve range and all versions come with more than 500 kilometres.

Hyundai’s new all-electric Ioniq 9 gives far pricier three-row rivals a run for their money

6 min read

May 25, 2025

Golf carts line Spanish Springs Town Square in the Villages, a retirement community in Sumter County, Fla., June 30, 2019. Some 60,000 carts ply the neighborhoods, with many of the vehicles tricked out to reflect an owner's passions or a preferred "kind of bling." (Eve Edelheit/The New York Times)

Golf carts line Spanish Springs Town Square in the Villages, a retirement community in Sumter County, Fla., June 30, 2019. Some 60,000 carts ply the neighborhoods, with many of the vehicles tricked out to reflect an owner's passions or a preferred "kind of bling." (Eve Edelheit/The New York Times)

When and where can I drive a golf cart on the road?

4 min read

May 18, 2025

A screen capture from the Matrix website shows the Nexa 4S, which seats four people, is nearly 1.4 metres wide and weighs 410 kilograms.

A screen capture from the Matrix website shows the Nexa 4S, which seats four people, is nearly 1.4 metres wide and weighs 410 kilograms.

A tiny electric car tried to push us off the sidewalk. Should it be there?

5 min read

May 16, 2025

A new analysis suggests it's already cheaper to operate electric vehicles than their similar gas-powered cousins but that the savings need to get substantially higher if Canada is to meet its EV sales target in 2030. An electric vehicle is charged in Ottawa on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

A new analysis suggests it's already cheaper to operate electric vehicles than their similar gas-powered cousins but that the savings need to get substantially higher if Canada is to meet its EV sales target in 2030. An electric vehicle is charged in Ottawa on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Plummeting EV sales unlikely to rebound anytime soon without incentives, expert says

4 min read

May 11, 2025

car washing for weekly guide

Collection:
iStockphoto
Item number:
136981752
Title:
car washing
License type:
Royalty-free
Max file size (JPEG):
9.1 x 6.1 in (2,734 x 1,822 px) / 300 dpi
Release info:
No release required
Keywords:
Car, Clean, Cleaning, Day, Detergent, Dirt, Dirty, Dishwashing Liquid, Dry, Fiber, Fiber, Horizontal, Human Body Part, Human Hand, Industry, Land Vehicle, Photography, Service, Shiny, Soap, Soap Dispenser, Summer, Transparent, Transportation, Water, Wax, Wax, Waxing

car washing for weekly guide

Collection:
iStockphoto
Item number:
136981752
Title:
car washing
License type:
Royalty-free
Max file size (JPEG):
9.1 x 6.1 in (2,734 x 1,822 px) / 300 dpi
Release info:
No release required
Keywords:
Car, Clean, Cleaning, Day, Detergent, Dirt, Dirty, Dishwashing Liquid, Dry, Fiber, Fiber, Horizontal, Human Body Part, Human Hand, Industry, Land Vehicle, Photography, Service, Shiny, Soap, Soap Dispenser, Summer, Transparent, Transportation, Water, Wax, Wax, Waxing

Is it legal to wash a car on a city street?

3 min read

May 4, 2025

File #: 2251158
Dangerous Curves Ahead
Hybrid economy car, a Prius, making tracks down a mountain road. Sign ahead indicates curvy highway. Car is sharp, landscape and street are motion-blurred (all in-camera).
Car driving on road
Credit: iStockphoto

(Royalty-Free)

Keywords: Road, Hybrid Vehicle, Car, Electric Car, Safety, Driving, Motor Vehicle, Traffic, Tire, Speed, Street, Risk, Road Trip

File #: 2251158
Dangerous Curves Ahead
Hybrid economy car, a Prius, making tracks down a mountain road. Sign ahead indicates curvy highway. Car is sharp, landscape and street are motion-blurred (all in-camera).
Car driving on road
Credit: iStockphoto

(Royalty-Free)

Keywords: Road, Hybrid Vehicle, Car, Electric Car, Safety, Driving, Motor Vehicle, Traffic, Tire, Speed, Street, Risk, Road Trip

I got a speeding ticket in Manitoba. Will the demerits show up on my Ontario licence?

3 min read

April 29, 2025

The Quebec government has officially adopted a new rule banning the sale of most new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. An electric vehicle is charged in Ottawa on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The Quebec government has officially adopted a new rule banning the sale of most new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. An electric vehicle is charged in Ottawa on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Will Canadians buy EVs without rebates?

5 min read

April 27, 2025

Vancouver, BC - June 4, 2008 - Traffic moves along West Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver June 4, 2008. Jeff Vinnick-Globe and Mail

Vancouver, BC - June 4, 2008 - Traffic moves along West Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver June 4, 2008. Jeff Vinnick-Globe and Mail

Do I need to tell my insurance company that I’m using a car share?

4 min read

April 20, 2025

Driving through blizzard - Driving Concerns

Driving through blizzard - Driving Concerns

What should I do if I’m being tailgated in the HOV lane?

4 min read

April 13, 2025

File #: 8448409
School Crossing Sign
Image of a bright yellow school crossing sign set against a blue and almost clear sky. Saturated and contrasting image.
Credit: iStockphoto

(Royalty-Free

Keywords: Crosswalk, Road Sign, Sign, Safety, School Crossing Sign, Road, Education, Pedestrian, Traffic, Crossing, Yellow, Walking

File #: 8448409
School Crossing Sign
Image of a bright yellow school crossing sign set against a blue and almost clear sky. Saturated and contrasting image.
Credit: iStockphoto

(Royalty-Free

Keywords: Crosswalk, Road Sign, Sign, Safety, School Crossing Sign, Road, Education, Pedestrian, Traffic, Crossing, Yellow, Walking

At what age can children cross the street alone and must they dismount a scooter?

4 min read

April 10, 2025

Daniel Breton, CEO of Electric Mobility Canada, plugs in on Montreal’s Plateau-Mont-Royal on Dec. 14, 2023. He says more education is needed about the long-term cost of owning and electric vehicle.

Daniel Breton, CEO of Electric Mobility Canada, plugs in on Montreal’s Plateau-Mont-Royal on Dec. 14, 2023. He says more education is needed about the long-term cost of owning and electric vehicle.

EV industry could add $104-billion to Canada’s economy by 2040, report forecasts

4 min read

April 6, 2025

A curb extension, also called a bulb-out, at the corner of St. Clair Ave. West and Wychwood Ave. Curb extensions narrow the roadway and force drivers to slow down.

A curb extension, also called a bulb-out, at the corner of St. Clair Ave. West and Wychwood Ave. Curb extensions narrow the roadway and force drivers to slow down.

Do curb extensions at crosswalks make intersections safer?

3 min read

March 30, 2025

Please visit my WINTER DRIVING LIGHTBOX (Just click on the thumbnail)

Please visit my WINTER DRIVING LIGHTBOX (Just click on the thumbnail)

Do laws banning idling actually work?

4 min read

March 23, 2025

The turn signal was a great invention, its a shame too many people don’t use it.

The turn signal was a great invention, its a shame too many people don’t use it.

Are amber rear turn signals safer than red ones?

4 min read

March 16, 2025

Toronto, ON - November 10: Cars line Bessborough Dr. in Leaside, a neighbourhood where thieves are breaking into people's homes and stealing their car keys, in Toronto on Wednesday, November 10, 2004.
(Photo by Donald Weber / Globe & Mail)

Toronto, ON - November 10: Cars line Bessborough Dr. in Leaside, a neighbourhood where thieves are breaking into people's homes and stealing their car keys, in Toronto on Wednesday, November 10, 2004.
(Photo by Donald Weber / Globe & Mail)

Who goes first at a two-way stop? The car going straight or the one that stopped first?

4 min read

March 9, 2025

A car drives over the Dorothy Ferry Bridge in the hamlet Dorothy Alta on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Dorothy is a small hamlet and ghost town about 35 km from Drumheller. (Photo by Jude Brocke/The Globe and Mail)

A car drives over the Dorothy Ferry Bridge in the hamlet Dorothy Alta on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Dorothy is a small hamlet and ghost town about 35 km from Drumheller. (Photo by Jude Brocke/The Globe and Mail)

On a single-lane bridge, should cars cross one at a time?

3 min read

March 2, 2025

Vehicles drive on a road with the Gordie Howe International Bridge in the distance, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2025 and will link road traffic between southern Ontario and Detroit across the Detroit River, in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio

Vehicles drive on a road with the Gordie Howe International Bridge in the distance, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2025 and will link road traffic between southern Ontario and Detroit across the Detroit River, in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio

How far should I stay back from the car in front of me while driving?

3 min read