Home > Help Centre > Blog In an attempt to improve safety to everyone sharing roads in Ontario, our provincial parliament unanimously passed Bill 31, legislation that will increase penalties, fines and amend rules of the road for drivers and cyclists. The bill targets distracted drivers with significantly increased fines and also permits cities to build more bicycle lanes.
These amendments address some alarming studies that have recently come to light about drivers and their behaviours. According to a recent CBC article, a Centre for Addiction and Mental Health 2014 survey revealed that more than 33% of licensed Ontario students “admitted to texting while driving.”
Ontario government statistics also indicate that over 45% of drivers killed in Ontario were found to have drugs, alcohol or a combination of the two in their system.
Bill 31 is aiming to increase road safety and accountability for everyone – cyclists, motorists and pedestrians. The point of stiffer penalties and fines is to get drivers' attention. Brian Patterson, President and CEO at Ontario Safety League, was quoted in a Star article about distracted driving, saying, “As people get the message the roads will become safer.”
Here are the highlights of Bill 31 and how they apply to driving practices, penalties and fines according to the Ministry of Transportation:
The new rules for drug impaired driving are the same as existing restrictions for alcohol-impaired driving including: You will be allowed to keep your license as identification if your license has been suspended for medical reasons. Medical professionals will be given clearer guidelines for reporting medical conditions. Other medical professionals will be allowed to report on medical conditions affecting licensed drivers.
This new legislation seeks to make roads safer for everyone. ThinkInsure applauds the government’s work to make Ontario roads safer for everyone. We hope that this legislation will give drivers and cyclists pause and encourage them to become more vigilant. The safer we can be on roads, we can keep car insurance in Ontario costs low.Changes To Ontario Road Rules To Improve Safety For Drivers And Cyclists
Jun 10, 2015
Ontario Government Passes Legislation To Improve Road Safety
Studies Reinforce The Need For Changes In Driving Behaviour
Fines And Penalties Will Get Drivers Attention
Important Changes To Ontario Driving Laws You Should Know About
New Driving Rules And Fines
Drug Impaired Driving
Distracted Driving
If You’re Medically Unfit To Drive
What Cyclists Need To Know
Making Ontario Roads Safer
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