Ontario increases distracted driving penalties
Posted Jun 3, 2015 06:44:51 AM.
Last Updated Jun 3, 2015 08:08:19 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Ontario has passed new legislation to increase penalties for distracted driving.
Fines for distracted drivers will increase from the range of $60-$500 to $300-$1,000 plus three demerit points.
Using handheld electronic devices while driving has been outlawed in Ontario since 2009, except for 911 emergency calls.
Police say distracted driving is becoming the No. 1 killer on the roads, accounting for more deaths than impaired driving or speed-related collisions.
Fines for opening a door into the path of a bicyclist will also increase to the same amounts as distracted driving, and motorists must leave a one-metre distance _ where practicable _ when passing bicyclists.
Drivers must also wait until pedestrians completely cross the road at school crossings and at crosswalks with pedestrian-operated crossing lights, and not yield just half the roadway as required under the old law.
