Ontario Proposed Increased Distracted Driving Fines and Targets Drug Impaired Drivers

October 28th, 2014  |  Auto Insurance

Studies show that drivers who are texting are 23 times more likely to get into a collision.

So it looks like we could be seeing even more changes to distracted driving laws in Ontario. Transportation Minister, Steven Del Luca announced on Tuesday October 21^st that the provincial government has re-tabled a bill proposing an increase to the current distracted driving fines as well as changes in a number of other key areas.

If passed, drivers will now be subject to a fine ranging from $300 - $1000 and three demerit points if caught driving while distracted. This is up from the current fines that range from $60-$500.

Laws outlining distracted driving have been in place since 2009, but it’s clear that stiffer penalties are needed to deter drivers from texting and engaging in other distractions when behind the wheel.

As of October 5^th, the OPP have reported 45 distracted driving related deaths in Ontario alone, and more than 11,000 distracted driving charges were laid as of July 31^st.

Watch: Transportation minister Steven Del Luca re-introduces distracted driving bill

Taking on Drug Impaired Drivers

The proposed bill also makes changes to impaired driving laws. “Ontario is one of only three jurisdictions in Canada right now that has no sanctions . . . we thought it was important,” Del Duca stated.

With 45 per cent of drivers killed in Ontario in 2011 being found to have drugs or a combination of drugs and alcohol in their system, its clear laws need to address this issue.

The bill proposed to make driving while high essentially the same as driving while intoxicated. It included license suspensions ranging from 3 days to 90 days, motorists being required to take driving education and treatment programs, as well as other sanctions.

Currently, if police suspect you are driving while high, drivers are taken to the police station for further investigation, something that will change with this bill. The government is currently working with the RCMP to develop roadside testing technology to detect drugs – in a similar fashion to a breathalyser.

“This sends a clear message to the people who think, ‘I can get high and drive because I can pass a breathalyzer,’ ” says, Brian Patterson of the Ontario Safety League

Other Proposals Tabled in the Bill

The proposed bill also:

• Outlaws painting vehicles the same chrome yellow color as school buses 
• Requires drivers to wait until pedestrians have finished crossing the street at school and pedestrian crossings.
• Increases fines for drivers who “door” cyclists from $60-$500 and 2 demerit points to $300-$1000 and 3 demerit points.

What do you think about the proposed changes to the distracted driving fines? Do you think it’s about time the province cracked down on people who drive while high?