“New Hta Amendment: Keeping Ontario’s Roads Safe Act”

The proposed Keeping Ontarios Roads Safe Act and supporting amendments to the Highway Traffic Act would:

• Increase fines for distracted driving to a range of $300 to $1,000, up from a range of $60 to $500, and assign three demerit points upon conviction.
• Increase fines for drivers for dooring cyclists to a range of $300 to $1,000, up from a range of $60 to $500, and raise the demerit points from two to three.
• Require all drivers to maintain a distance of one metre when passing cyclists.
• Require drivers to yield the whole roadway to pedestrians at school crossings and pedestrian crossovers.

Among other things, the legislation proposes to expand the current "slow down, move over" requirement for motorists beyond only emergency vehicles with red or red and blue flashing lights to include tow trucks that are stopped and responding to roadside accidents and emergencies while their amber flashing lights are activated.

The proposed amendments to the Highway Traffic Act would also address impaired driving and include:

• Requiring all drivers who repeatedly drive with an excessive blood-alcohol concentration to complete an alcohol education program followed by an alcohol treatment and monitoring program.

The proposed legislation would also clarify what medical conditions must be reported and allow additional medical professionals to report drivers with medical conditions that may make them unsafe drivers.

Nanny state? What a nanny state?