Ontario Cracking Down On Careless And Distracted Driving With Tough New Penalties

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Tough new rules and penalties were announced Wednesday mining to improve road safety and keep the most vulnerable road users safe.

The province plans to introduce new legislation this fall that, if passed, would help protect pedestrians and cyclists and reduce the number of people killed or injured by impaired, distracted and dangerous drivers.

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 consulting on 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.