Bill 190 explained in plain English
Safe Texting Zones Act, 2016
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 41st Parliament, 1st 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
The Safe Texting Zones Act, 2016, allows for the creation of designated safe stopping areas, known as 'texting zones', on highways and in other public areas for drivers to use hand-held communication devices.
This bill, called the Safe Texting Zones Act, 2016, proposes to create designated 'texting zones' where drivers can safely stop or park to use a hand-held wireless communication device. These zones can be designated on parts of the King's Highway by the Minister of Transportation, or in commuter parking lots, transit stations, or rest areas by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. The Act also outlines regulations for signage and the use of these zones, and amends existing laws to allow for these designations.
- Authorizes the Minister of Transportation to designate parts of the King's Highway as 'texting zones'.
- Authorizes the Lieutenant Governor in Council to designate commuter parking lots, transit stations, or rest areas as 'texting zones'.
- Defines a 'texting zone' as an area where a driver can safely park or stop to use a hand-held wireless communication device.
- Allows the Minister of Transportation to make regulations regarding the use of texting zones, including conditions, rules for signals and flashers, and exemptions.
- Allows for regulations concerning the erection of signs and markings for texting zones.
- States that a texting zone designation is not effective until signs are posted.
- Prohibits driving, parking, standing, or stopping a vehicle in a texting zone except in accordance with the law and regulations.
- Specifies that a texting zone is considered separate from the roadway for certain legal definitions.
- Amends the Highway Traffic Act and the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act.
- Drivers of motor vehicles
- Minister of Transportation
- Lieutenant Governor in Council
- Drivers must only use texting zones in accordance with the law and regulations.
- The Minister of Transportation has the power to designate King's Highway sections as texting zones and create related regulations.
- The Lieutenant Governor in Council has the power to designate other public areas as texting zones and require signage.
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- The specific types of signs, markings, and instructions to be used in texting zones are to be determined by regulation.
- Details regarding exemptions from highway rules within texting zones will be set out in regulations.
- The exact locations and boundaries of texting zones will be defined by ministerial or O.C. regulations and signage.
Adds a new section that allows the Minister of Transportation to designate parts of the King's Highway as texting zones and to make regulations governing their use and signage. It also clarifies that these zones are not considered part of the roadway for certain purposes.
Source: Section 1
Adds subsections that allow the Lieutenant Governor in Council to designate commuter parking lots, transit stations, or rest areas as texting zones and to require signage. It also defines a texting zone for the purposes of these designations.
Source: Section 2
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
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No published representative vote breakdown
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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