Backgrounder: Introduction of An Act to Enhance Safety and Mobility on Ontario's Roads, 2002

For Immediate Release
December 12, 2002

Introduction of An Act to Enhance Safety and Mobility on Ontario's Roads, 2002

The An Act to Enhance Safety and Mobility on Ontario's Roads, 2002, proposes targeted measures on a wide range of issues to create a safer driving environment for all Ontarians. The legislative amendments support four key themes — promoting responsible driver behaviour, working with safety partners to protect all road users, strengthening enforcement to improve safety of commercial vehicles, and making construction zones safer.

Promoting Responsible Driver Behaviour

Issues addressed under this theme include:

• Cracking down on street racing by removing aggressive and unsafe drivers from the road by adding vehicle impoundment and driver's licence suspension - both for 48 hours - to the current tools available to police. Also prohibits the use of nitrous oxide and other additives commonly used by street racers;
• Requiring the use of booster seats for children who have outgrown child safety seats but who are too small to be fully protected by seat belts. If passed, Ontario will be the first province in Canada to improve the safety of child passengers by making booster seat use mandatory;
• Require drivers to use the left-hand lane only for passing on highways with three or more lanes and a speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour. This is designed to encourage drivers to keep right except to pass and reduce aggressive driving behaviour.
• Enabling the province to work with other jurisdictions to enforce the collection of fines from motorists with outstanding driving-related offences. This would enable Ontario to enter into reciprocal agreements leading to other jurisdictions suspending the licences of their drivers if they have outstanding fines in Ontario, and vice versa.

Working With Our Safety Partners to Protect All Road Users

Issues addressed under this theme include:

• Responding to the Provincial Auditor and inquest recommendations by clarifying and making it easier for doctors to comply with reporting requirements by introducing a list of reportable medical conditions that would impact an individual's ability to drive;
• Easing congestion by providing police with increased authority to remove vehicles and debris from a highway as quickly as possible after a serious incident; and
• Giving all municipalities the authority to set 30 kilometres per hour speed limits where traffic calming measures are used.

Strengthening Enforcement to Improve Safety of Commercial Vehicles

Issues addressed under this theme include:

• Giving police and enforcement officers greater authority to crack-down on illegal passenger vans by suspending permits, and removing plates;
• Improving the safety monitoring of large vehicles such as mobile cranes and street sweepers through the Commercial Vehicles Operator's Registration certification program; and
• Improving the mechanical fitness and overall safety of taxis by requiring taxis to undergo annual safety inspections;
• Allowing the implementation of a mandatory box marking program for trucks that haul gravel and other aggregates in Ontario. This program will help carriers to comply with the province's weight laws, improving safety and protecting infrastructure.

Making construction zones safer

Issues addressed under this theme include:

• Responding to the recommendations of a Coroner's inquest by doubling speeding fines in provincial and municipal construction zones;
• Giving municipalities more flexibility to set legal speed limits in construction zones; and
• Making it an offence to disobey a traffic control persons stop or slow sign in a highway work zone.

The Act to Enhance Safety and Mobility on Ontario's Roads, 2002, is designed to help ensure that everyone who drives in Ontario gets to their destination safely. According to the latest statistics, Ontario has the safest roads in Canada and the lowest number of roadway fatalities since 1950.