Bill 31 explained in plain English
Transportation Statute Law Amendment Act (Making Ontario's Roads Safer), 2015
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
This Ontario bill amends highway and traffic laws, including those related to impaired driving, cyclist safety, pedestrian crossings, and vehicle inspections.
This bill amends the Highway 407 East Act, 2012, the Highway Traffic Act, and the Provincial Offences Act. Key changes include updates to impaired driving laws, rules for cyclists, pedestrian safety, and the vehicle inspection centre system. Some amendments aim to enhance road safety by clarifying existing rules and introducing new ones related to vehicle and driver conduct.
- Amends the Highway 407 East Act, 2012 to remove certain notice requirements for toll non-payment and annual toll review consultations.
- Amends the Highway Traffic Act to implement new rules and penalties related to impaired driving (alcohol and drugs), bicycle safety, pedestrian safety, vehicle inspections, and other traffic-related matters.
- Makes consequential amendments to the Provincial Offences Act, as needed to align with changes in the Highway Traffic Act.
- Drivers (especially those impaired by alcohol or drugs).
- Cyclists.
- Pedestrians.
- Owners and operators of motor vehicles.
- Medical professionals and other prescribed individuals (regarding medical reporting for driver fitness).
- Operators of vehicle inspection centres.
- Vehicle owners who fail to pay tolls for Highway 407 East.
- Drivers with out-of-province licences.
- Drivers must maintain a one-metre distance when overtaking a bicycle.
- Drivers must stop and remain stopped at pedestrian crossovers until pedestrians are off the roadway.
- Bicycles may be equipped with flashing red rear lamps.
- New rules for licence suspensions and vehicle impoundment for impaired driving.
- Certain individuals are mandated to report medical conditions affecting driving ability.
- The new vehicle inspection centre system requires accredited centres and registered technicians.
- Royal Assent was granted on June 2, 2015.
- Most provisions came into force on the day of Royal Assent, while others were to come into force on a day named by proclamation.
- Fines for certain traffic violations (e.g., related to display screens, unsafe door opening, and other offences) are increased.
- The bill deals with toll payment for Highway 407 East but does not appear to introduce new taxes or fees beyond existing toll structures.
- Increased fines for specific contraventions of the Highway Traffic Act, such as those related to display screens and unsafe vehicle door opening.
- New penalties and licence suspension periods for impaired driving (alcohol and drugs).
- Vehicle impoundment for various driving-related offences.
- Penalties for contravening section 57 of the Highway Traffic Act (related to conduct review programs and ignition interlock) range from $200 to $1,000, with higher penalties for commercial motor vehicles.
- Penalties for obstructing vehicle inspection standards inspectors and for operating without proper inspections are established.
- The bill refers to "prescribed persons" and "prescribed medical conditions, functional impairments or visual impairments" for medical reporting, the specifics of which would be defined in regulations not detailed in this bill text.
- The implementation of the new vehicle inspection centre system and associated regulations are subject to ministerial discretion and the making of new regulations.
- Some sections of the bill come into force on a day named by proclamation, meaning their effective date is not fixed.
- The bill amends sections that refer to "regulations", implying that further details and specific requirements will be established through regulatory processes.
- The exact scope and application of "other types of conveyance" in relation to prohibitions against clinging to vehicles are not specified.
- The bill refers to "reciprocating provinces or territories" and "states designated by regulations" for vehicle inspection equivalency, the specific list of which would be found in regulations.
Removes the requirement for a second notice to individuals who have not paid tolls and related fees, and removes the requirement for an annual review and public consultation on the following year's toll rate.
Source: Explanatory Note
Introduces new provisions and modifies existing ones concerning impaired driving (alcohol and drugs), including administrative licence suspensions and vehicle impoundment. It also updates rules for cyclists, such as allowing flashing red lamps on bicycles and allowing bicycles on paved shoulders of highways. Pedestrian safety at crosswalks is enhanced by requiring drivers to remain stopped until pedestrians are fully off the roadway. The bill also repeals and replaces sections related to vehicle inspection stations, creating a new vehicle inspection centre system.
Source: Explanatory Note, Bill Text Sections 4-60
Consequential amendments are made to align with changes in the Highway Traffic Act, particularly regarding orders and directions related to unpaid fines.
Source: Explanatory Note, Bill Text Section 60
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 does not have a published recorded division in the current official sources, so representative-by-representative vote counts are not shown.
No published representative vote breakdown
The current official sources do not publish a recorded division breakdown for this bill, so there is no representative-by-representative table to show.
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