toronto traffic laws

New traffic laws come into effect this September

Starting on September 1, the police in Ontario will be enforcing harsher fines for traffic infractions such as distracted driving. It's all part of the Making Ontario's Roads Safer Act, which the province approved back in June.

Distracted driving fines, for instance, currently sit between $60-$500. On September 1, if you're caught texting and driving, you'll likely get a $490 fine plus three demerit points. Novice drivers, or those with a G1 or G2, will face a 30-day license suspension.

These new laws also aim to make Ontario's roads safer for those on bicycles. Penalties for "dooring" are now set at $365 and three demerit points. If you don't leave a one-metre space when passing a cyclist, you can face a $110 fine plus two demerit points. Alternatively, if you don't have proper lights on your bike, you might get dinged with a $110 ticket.

The province's Slow Down and Move Over law for emergency vehicles now includes tow trucks. If you don't, as the law suggests, slow down and move over when you see one assisting a driver, you can receive a hefty fine as well as demerit points.

What do you think of these new traffic laws? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Empty Quarter in the blogTO Flickr pool.


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