ONTARIO-The Province has announced it intends to table legislation this fall targeting distracted and careless drivers.
Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Eleanor McMahon, were in Toronto today to announce the new road-safety measures they say will make the roads safter for everyone.
While drunk driving remains in the top-five killers on Ontario’s roads, the province’s most recent roadside survey found that drivers who tested positive for drugs were more than twice the number who tested positive for alcohol. On average, one person is killed on Ontario’s roads every 17 hours.
The proposed measures include:
- A new offence for careless driving causing death or bodily harm with penalties that include fines, licence suspension and imprisonment
- Tougher penalties for distracted driving, such as using a cellphone while operating a vehicle, including higher fines, more demerit points, and license suspensions
- Increased penalties for drivers who fail to yield for pedestrians and escalating fines for drivers who are convicted of multiple pedestrian-related offences within a five-year window
- Expanding the use of rear flashing blue lights for enforcement and emergency vehicles.
In addition, the province is considering the use of cameras on school buses that capture the offence of illegally passing a school bus, so that this evidence can be admitted into court without a witness.
 photo credit: frankieleon drive and text via photopin (license)
