Bill 156 explained in plain English
Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Roadside Assistance Vehicles), 2011
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 39th 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 156 amends the Highway Traffic Act to require drivers to slow down and change lanes when approaching roadside assistance vehicles with flashing amber lights, and sets rules for the use of these lights.
This bill, the Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Roadside Assistance Vehicles), 2011, aims to enhance safety for roadside assistance workers. It introduces new rules for the use of amber warning lights on tow trucks and other roadside assistance vehicles, and requires drivers to slow down and proceed with caution, and change lanes if safe to do so, when approaching these vehicles when their amber lights are flashing. It also defines what constitutes a 'roadside assistance vehicle'.
- Defines 'roadside assistance vehicle' to include tow trucks and other vehicles equipped for removing or servicing disabled vehicles.
- Establishes requirements for tow trucks to carry intermittently flashing amber warning lights, with at least one permanently mounted on the roof.
- Allows other roadside assistance vehicles to carry intermittently flashing amber warning lights.
- Specifies when the amber warning lights on tow trucks can be used (e.g., when attached to another vehicle, towing, or assisting a vehicle).
- Specifies when the amber warning lights on other roadside assistance vehicles can be used (i.e., when stopped and assisting a vehicle).
- Requires drivers to slow down and proceed with caution when approaching a stopped roadside assistance vehicle with flashing amber lights.
- Requires drivers to change lanes if safe to do so when approaching a stopped roadside assistance vehicle with flashing amber lights on a highway with multiple lanes.
- Amends Section 62 of the Highway Traffic Act regarding lighting requirements.
- Amends Section 159 of the Highway Traffic Act regarding approaching stopped vehicles.
- Drivers of motor vehicles in Ontario
- Operators and workers of tow trucks
- Operators and workers of other roadside assistance vehicles
- Police departments
- Drivers must slow down and proceed with caution when approaching a stopped roadside assistance vehicle with flashing amber lights.
- Drivers must move to another lane if safe when approaching a stopped roadside assistance vehicle with flashing amber lights on a multi-lane highway.
- Tow trucks must carry specific intermittently flashing amber warning lights.
- Other roadside assistance vehicles may carry intermittently flashing amber warning lights.
- Use of amber warning lights on roadside assistance vehicles is restricted to specific operational circumstances.
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- The bill does not specify penalties for non-compliance.
- The bill does not detail the specific types or brightness of amber warning lights, beyond requiring visibility from 100 metres.
- The bill does not specify the exact distance within which a driver must slow down, only that they must do so upon 'approaching'.
Introduces new definitions, rules for warning lights on roadside assistance vehicles, and requirements for drivers approaching these vehicles.
Source: Various sections, including 1(1), 62, and 159
Adds new subsections detailing requirements for amber warning lights on tow trucks and other roadside assistance vehicles, and when they can be used. It also clarifies lighting for police vehicles.
Source: Section 62 (1.1) to (1.4) and (14.1)
Modifies the requirements for drivers to slow down and proceed with caution, and to change lanes if safe, when approaching stopped emergency vehicles, roadside assistance vehicles, or police vehicles with flashing lights.
Source: Section 159 (2) and (3)
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