The Safer Roads and Communities Act

Table of Contents

1. Content
2. Additional Resources
3. Related Topics

The Ontario government is introducing new legislation that would improve safety and protect families and communities by targeting road users who engage in reckless behaviour including impaired driving and stunt driving, as well as those convicted of auto theft. The Safer Roads and Communities Act, if passed,would also introduce measures to improve safety for e-bike users and enhance enforcement of commercial vehicle safety.

Combatting Alcohol and Drug-Impaired Driving

Lifetime licence suspensions for impaired driving causing death: The Safer Roads and Communities Act would introduce a lifetime licence suspension for anyone convicted of impaired driving causing death under the Criminal Code.

Mandatory ignition interlock devices for anyone convicted of impaired driving: Anyone convicted of impaired driving would be required to install an ignition interlock device following their post-conviction licence suspension.

Longer roadside licence suspensions for first- and second-time alcohol/drug-related occurrences: Drivers currently receive an immediate roadside three-day licence suspension for their first drug- or alcohol-related occurrence and a seven-day licence suspension for their second occurrence. If passed, this would increase licence suspensions for first- and second-time alcohol and drug-related occurrences to seven and 14 days, respectively.

Zero-tolerance condition for anyone convicted of impaired driving: The Safer Roads and Communities Act would implement a time-limited zero-tolerance condition for anyone convicted of impaired driving. The zero-tolerance condition would apply to the presence of both alcohol and drugs and commence after a driver has completed the mandatory ignition interlock period.

Mandatory remedial education for first-time alcohol/drug-related occurrences: Ontario is proposing to require drivers who receive a first-time roadside suspension for alcohol- or drug-related occurrences to complete a remedial education course. Drivers who receive a second-time roadside suspension would be required to complete a treatment program.

Clarifying police authority to stop vehicles for impaired driving off the highway: The Safer Roads and Communities Act would amend the Highway Traffic Act to clarify that police can stop a vehicle for sobriety testing of a driver off the highway and stop a vehicle that has recently left the highway.

Aligning look-back periods for all sanctions related to alcohol/drug-related occurrences: The Safer Roads and Communities Act would harmonize the look-back periods for Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs), licence suspensions, ignition interlock and remedial education for all alcohol- and drug-related occurrences to 10 years.

Launching a provincewide campaign on drug-impaired driving: Ontario plans to develop a public education and awareness campaign on the dangers and consequences of drug-impaired driving with an emphasis on young drivers and cannabis use.

Enhancing support for police to detect drug-impaired driving: Ontario will explore options to increase the capacity for Standardized Field Sobriety Testing and Drug Recognition Expert evaluations across the province, for cannabis and other substances, and enhance drug-detection capacity to support roadside enforcement.

Strengthening Public Safety

Escalating licence suspensions for motor vehicle theft: To crack down on auto theft, the government is introducing escalating licence suspensions under the Highway Traffic Act for motor vehicle theft. Individuals convicted of motor vehicle theft under the Criminal Code would face a 10-year licence suspension following their first conviction, 15 years for their second and a lifetime licence suspension for their third conviction, meaning they will no longer be able to operate a motor vehicle in Ontario.

Ensuring minimum mandatory licence suspensions for stunt driving: Amend the Highway Traffic Act to ensure anyone convicted of stunt driving receives the minimum mandatory licence suspension - one year on the first conviction, three years for the second, and a lifetime suspension for the third conviction.

Enhancing Alternative and Commercial Vehicle Safety

Improving e-bike safety: The Safer Roads and Communities Act would create regulation-making powers under the Highway Traffic Act that would allow e-bikes to be categorized into distinct classes, with each class having prescribed operator and vehicle safety requirements.

Strengthening enforcement of commercial vehicle safety: Increase Ministry of Transportation Enforcement Officers' (TEOs) authority to deliver the Ministry's commercial vehicle enforcement program. This includes permitting TEOs to exceed posted speed limits for enforcement purposes, requiring traffic to pull over for MTO enforcement vehicles when lights and signals are flashing, and enabling TEOs to seize fraudulent or suspended driver's licences.

Reviewing commercial driver training: The government plans to lead a comprehensive review of commercial driver training to identify gaps and areas for improvement. The review will include holding provincewide stakeholder roundtables to seek industry and public feedback on measures to improve road safety.

Additional Resources

Related Topics