Ontario approves tougher distracted driving penalties, Report

The Ontario government passed legislation June 2 hiking the fine for distracted driving from a range of $60 to $500 to between $300 and $1,000 plus three demerit points.

Using handheld electronic devices while driving has been outlawed in Ontario since 2009, except for 911 emergency calls.

Police say distracted driving is becoming the No. 1 killer on the roads, accounting for more deaths than impaired driving or speed-related collisions.

Also included in the legislation is a one-metre distance rule between vehicles and bicycles, and hike fines for “dooring” a cyclist.

Fines for opening a door into the path of a bicyclist will also increase to the same amounts as distracted driving, and motorists must leave a one-metre distance _ where practicable _ when passing bicyclists.

Drivers must also wait until pedestrians completely cross the road at school crossings and at crosswalks with pedestrian-operated crossing lights, and not yield just half the roadway as required under the old law.

Agencies/Canadajournal

Report an error

Issue: *
Found an error? Tell us about it! Invalid Contents Broken Links

Your Name: *

Your Email: *

Details: *

Submit Report