Windsor's Hope Neill will likely have to wait until there's snow on the ground to get her learners permit and get behind the wheel of a car.
Neill turned 16 on March 18, but is part of a backlog of 34,734 road tests at Windsor Drive Centres caused by closures over the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the province, 8,916 road tests have been cancelled due to the pandemic in Windsor and Leamington since March 2020.
Neill says it was tough to get a hold of someone, but when she finally did, she was told it would be months before she could schedule an appointment.
"This is supposed to be one of the most social times of my life and it really did suck to not see anyone for so long, plus, now that I kind of have the ability and independence to go out and do stuff I can't again," says Neill.
Many of her friends are feeling the same frustration, but she says some are okay with waiting.
"A lot of my friends don't really mind that much right now because of everything that has happened they feel it would put more stress on them to have to learn that right now," she added.
Had she been able to go into the Drive Centre on her birthday, she'd almost be half way towards getting her G2 and the freedom of her own car.
"I always have to ask my parents for rides to work, my boyfriend's, to my friend's house," she says. "It sucks to have to ask all the time and it depends on their availability. It sucks having to put that on them and having to call a taxi all the time, which is really expensive."
The ministry plans to hire 167 additional temporary driver examiners and extend weekday hours for road testing to work through the backlog.
According to a statement from the province, the backlog is expected to be cleared by early 2022.