Bill 54 explained in plain English
Protecting Vulnerable Road Users Act, 2021
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 42nd 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
This bill introduces new penalties for drivers whose actions cause death or serious bodily harm to vulnerable road users due to traffic law violations.
Bill 54, the Protecting Vulnerable Road Users Act, 2021, amends the Highway Traffic Act. It creates a new offense for drivers who cause death or serious bodily harm to certain vulnerable road users by breaking specific traffic rules. Convicted drivers face penalties associated with the original traffic rule violation, a mandatory probation order requiring a driving course and community service, and a suspension of their driver's licence during the probation period. The bill also specifies how proceedings for these offenses should be initiated and requires the defendant to attend sentencing hearings. Victim impact statements can be considered during sentencing. The Act comes into force six months after receiving Royal Assent.
- Creates a new offense for drivers who cause death or serious bodily harm to vulnerable road users by contravening specific traffic laws.
- Establishes mandatory probation orders for convicted drivers, including requirements for a driving instruction course and community service related to driving safety.
- Mandates the suspension of a convicted driver's licence for the duration of their probation order.
- Requires defendants to personally attend sentencing hearings for these offenses.
- Allows for victim impact statements to be considered during sentencing.
- Specifies that proceedings for these offenses must be started by laying an information, not by filing a certificate of offense.
- Amends the Highway Traffic Act to include these new provisions.
- Drivers of motor vehicles (excluding motor-assisted bicycles).
- Vulnerable road users, defined as pedestrians, individuals on bicycles or motor-assisted bicycles, individuals in mobility devices, roadway workers, emergency responders acting in their duties (and not in a vehicle), and individuals prescribed by regulation.
- The courts and the justice system, particularly concerning sentencing and probation orders.
- Victims of collisions involving vulnerable road users.
- Drivers have an obligation to obey traffic laws to avoid causing harm to vulnerable road users.
- Convicted drivers have an obligation to comply with mandatory probation orders, including completing a driving course and community service.
- Convicted drivers have their licenses suspended during their probation period.
- Defendants have the right to have victim impact statements considered during sentencing.
- Defendants have the right to have a sentencing hearing, and the court has powers to compel attendance if they fail to appear.
- The Act comes into force six months after the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Convicted drivers may be subject to penalties equivalent to the penalties for the traffic violation they committed.
- Convicted drivers may face fines of up to $50,000 for breaching a probation order.
- There may be costs associated with mandatory driving instruction courses.
- Convicted drivers are liable to the penalties of the original traffic violation.
- Convicted drivers face a mandatory probation order for up to one year, including a driving course and 50-200 hours of community service.
- Driver's licences are suspended for the duration of the probation order.
- Breaching a probation order can result in a fine of not more than $50,000 and a licence suspension of up to two years.
- Proceedings must be commenced by laying an information, not by filing a certificate of offense.
- The specific 'listed provisions' under subsection 191.0.2 (3) that can lead to an offense are extensive and refer to numerous sections of the Highway Traffic Act, not all of which are detailed in the provided text.
- The specific requirements for the driving instruction course are to be determined by regulations.
- The list of 'vulnerable road users' includes individuals prescribed by regulations, who are not yet defined in the provided text.
- The bill does not specify the exact amount of fines for the original traffic violations, only that the penalties for those violations apply.
- The extent of 'serious bodily harm' is not defined within the bill text.
Adds a new Part (X.0.1) to establish the offense of causing harm to vulnerable road users, outlining the definition of vulnerable road users, the specific traffic provisions that can lead to this offense, and the associated penalties, including mandatory probation and license suspension.
Source: Section 1
Updates the listed sections of the Act that apply to the offence of failing to stop at an intersection or pedestrian crossover to include the new offense under subsection 191.0.2 (1) concerning harm to vulnerable road users.
Source: Section 2
Modifies procedures related to commencing proceedings for the new offense under Bill 54, specifies conditions for probation orders, and sets penalties for breaching probation orders related to this new offense.
Source: Sections 191.0.3, 191.0.4, 191.0.5, 191.0.7
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