Provincial officials want to crack down harder on drivers that aren’t following the rules.
A new set of proposed laws could add tougher penalties for distracted and dangerous driving. Anyone charged with careless driving causing bodily harm or death could be fined up to $50,000 and sent to prison for two years. The distracted driving charge would also now come with a three-day licence suspension and up to $1000 fine for a first offence. The OPP recently reported careless and distracted driving is the leading cause of death on Ontario highways this year.
Alcohol and drug-impaired driving charges would also come with longer immediate licence suspension and higher fines.
The province is also considering equipping school buses with cameras to catch drivers passing illegally. The legislation with these new road safety laws is expected to be introduced later this fall at Queen’s Park.