Bill 173 explained in plain English
Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Keeping Ontario's Roads Safe), 2014
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill 173 (2014) amends the Ontario Highway Traffic Act to update rules for impaired driving, cycling, pedestrian safety, medical reporting, and vehicle inspections, while also increasing certain penalties and clarifying existing provisions.
This bill, titled the Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Keeping Ontario's Roads Safe), 2014, proposes several changes to the Highway Traffic Act in Ontario. Key areas addressed include impaired driving, rules for cyclists and pedestrians, medical reporting for drivers, and the vehicle inspection system. It aims to update regulations concerning driver's licence suspensions, introduce new requirements for bicycle lighting, clarify pedestrian crossing rules, modify how medical conditions affecting driving are reported, and establish a new vehicle inspection centre system, replacing the previous station system. Penalties for certain offences, such as distracted driving and unsafe vehicle door opening, are also increased. Additionally, it clarifies terminology related to driving and cycling and adjusts certain vehicle size and weight regulations.
- Amends the Highway Traffic Act to introduce various changes related to road safety.
- Modifies provisions concerning impaired driving, including licence suspension and reinstatement processes.
- Introduces new rules for cyclists, such as allowing flashing red tail lamps and creating specific traffic signals for bicycles.
- Enhances pedestrian safety by requiring drivers to yield until pedestrians are fully off the roadway at crossings.
- Changes the system for reporting medical conditions that may affect a person's ability to drive, shifting from doctors and optometrists to prescribed individuals.
- Replaces the existing motor vehicle inspection station system with a new vehicle inspection centre system.
- Increases penalties for certain offences, such as using display screens or hand-held devices while driving.
- Clarifies terminology related to driving and operating bicycles.
- Adjusts regulations concerning vehicle dimensions and the towing of individuals on certain conveyances.
- Modifies the process for classifying vehicles as irreparable, rebuilt, or salvage.
- Drivers of motor vehicles
- Cyclists
- Pedestrians
- Drivers of commercial motor vehicles
- Novice drivers and young drivers
- Individuals participating in conduct review programs or ignition interlock programs
- Owners of motor vehicles
- Police officers and other law enforcement officials
- The Registrar of Motor Vehicles
- Doctors and optometrists (indirectly, due to changes in medical reporting)
- Individuals in wheelchairs
- Operators of vehicle inspection centres
- Technicians working at vehicle inspection centres
- The Minister of Transportation
- Prescribed individuals responsible for medical reporting
- Individuals whose driver's licences are suspended or subject to conditions
- Manufacturers and operators of buses
- Individuals involved in vehicle classification (irreparable, salvage)
- Drivers approaching stopped emergency vehicles or tow trucks
- Individuals being towed by vehicles
- Individuals using skateboards, in-line skates, or other conveyances.
- Drivers must remain stopped at pedestrian crossovers until pedestrians are off the roadway.
- Drivers overtaking bicycles must maintain a distance of at least one metre.
- Drivers approaching stopped emergency vehicles or tow trucks must slow down and, where safe, move over a lane.
- Drivers must obey bicycle traffic control signals where they exist.
- Individuals with suspended licences must surrender them, with specific exceptions for certain prescribed conditions.
- Police officers have the authority to detain vehicles under specific circumstances related to licence suspension or conditions.
- Operators of vehicle inspection centres must comply with directives issued by the Director of Vehicle Inspection Standards.
- Only registered technicians can determine if a vehicle meets inspection standards.
- Medical reporting obligations shift to prescribed individuals, who may make mandatory or discretionary reports.
- Drivers must adhere to ignition interlock conditions and prohibitions.
- The penalties for certain offences, such as distracted driving, are increased.
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent, except for specific sections (listed as Sections 1-11, 12(3), 13-26, 28-30, 31(1) & (3), 33, 38, 40, 42, and 44-47) which come into force on a day to be named by proclamation by the Lieutenant Governor.
- Increased fines for contravening sections related to display screens and hand-held devices ($300 to $1,000).
- Increased penalties for unsafe vehicle door opening ($300 to $1,000).
- Fines for general contraventions of Section 57 related to conduct review programs range from $200 to $1,000.
- Fines for commercial motor vehicle contraventions of Section 57 range from $200 to $20,000.
- Fines for contravening new vehicle inspection centre system regulations (Sections 100.1(6), 100.4, 100.5(4)) range from $400 to $20,000, or up to 30 days imprisonment.
- Fees may be required for submissions regarding vehicle classification.
- Regulations may govern fees for services related to the new vehicle inspection centre system.
- Increased fines for distracted driving (use of display screens and hand-held devices).
- Increased fines for unsafe vehicle door opening.
- Fines for contravening conduct review program regulations.
- Penalties for operating commercial motor vehicles in contravention of conduct review program regulations.
- Vehicle impoundment (short-term and long-term) for driving while licence is suspended or in contravention of conditions.
- New offence and penalties for contravening provisions of the new vehicle inspection centre system.
- Police officers have powers to detain vehicles, inspect them for ignition interlock devices, and seize licence plates or inspection stickers.
- The Director of Vehicle Inspection Standards can appoint inspectors and issue directives.
- Contravention of directives by vehicle inspection centres is a deemed term and condition of their agreements.
- The bill does not specify the exact date for the commencement of certain sections, which are to be proclaimed by the Lieutenant Governor.
- The specific details of the new vehicle inspection centre system, including prescribed standards, procedures, and fees, will be determined by regulations made by the Minister.
- The specific 'prescribed persons' who will be responsible for medical reporting and the specific 'prescribed codes, standards or other publications' for reporting conditions are not detailed in the bill text and will be set by regulation.
- The exact scope of 'prescribed reasons' for licence suspension and impoundment under conduct review programs will be defined by regulation.
- The bill does not explicitly state all the penalties associated with every amendment; some penalties are stated to be set by regulation.
- The effectiveness and implementation details of the new vehicle inspection centre system depend on regulations and directives yet to be fully detailed.
- The bill refers to 'reciprocating provinces or territories' and 'designated states' for vehicle inspection evidence without listing them.
This bill proposes numerous amendments to the Highway Traffic Act, covering a wide range of provisions related to traffic safety, driver conduct, vehicle standards, and enforcement.
Source: The entire Act is subject to amendment by this bill.
The bill makes changes related to ignition interlock programs, which are also referenced in the Criminal Code (Canada).
Source: Section 57 (4) (d)
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textProcess Snapshot
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced