THUNDER BAY -- Texting and driving may be a lot more expensive before this year ends.
By the end of the year a number of provincial traffic offences, such as impaired driving and using a cell phone, might have a lot more teeth.
Ontario Bill 31, or the Making Ontario Roads Safer Act, is making its way through Queen’s Park and proposes a number of updates to the Highway Traffic Act. Impaired driving, using electronic devices while driving along with a number of other traffic violations will come with stiffer penalties if the bill passes.
The Thunder Bay Police Service Board was briefed on some of those changes as Traffic Sgt. Glenn Porter and Const. Gord Snyder appeared before the board at their monthly meeting, which was held Tuesday at the Balmoral Street station.
Porter said he has heard the bill is on track to be implemented by the end of the year.
Under the proposed bill, the fine for using a cell phone while driving would more than triple and range from $300 to $1,000. Offenders would also be hit with three demerit points.
“You’re going to see substantially higher fines and I understand it’s going to be escalating. The first offence is not going to be the same as the second offence and there will be points against the license,” Porter said after the meeting.
The current fine guidelines range from $280 to $500. The law applies to all electronic devices with screens such as cell phones, GPS and portable media players.
While Chief J.P. Levesque is pleased to see tougher consequences for distracted driving, he acknowledged it will likely come at a cost to the force.
“The other side of that is our officers will probably spend more time in court because if somebody gets a $1,000 fine they’re more likely to take it to court and try to fight it,” he said.
There will still be limited exemptions to the law, such as to make a 911 call or if the driver is pulled over or parked. Emergency responders also have an exemption.
"Police, emergency medical services personnel, firefighters and enforcement officers can also use hand-held devices and viewing display screens when performing their duties," a Ministry of Transportation information web page reads.
The province is also looking to tighten up the definition of impaired driving, which would include prescription drugs, and allow officers to seek an immediate license suspension.
Though Porter said testing for impairment won’t change, the purpose of the immediate license suspension is to get drivers who are obviously impaired off the road immediately.
“It’s good because though it’s not frequent, those are things we’ve had to deal with in the past,” Porter said. “It expands the scope for which police can impound vehicles and suspend licenses on the spot.”
The penalty for driving with a suspended license will result in a vehicle impoundment of 45 days, a substantial increase from the current period of seven days. That will escalate to 90 days for a second offence and 120 days for a third.
The impoundment applies to any vehicle driven by somebody with a suspended license, even if the owner is not driving it and loaned it to a friend or family member.
Another major change is how drivers share the road with non-motorists. The penalty for hitting a cyclist with a car door is also expected to rise.
“Pedestrian and cyclist safety are two of the big ones. We’re looking forward to seeing some of those things brought forward,” Porter said after the meeting.
“Drivers will have to give cyclists one metre to pass. There are going to be things for pedestrians. Crossovers will probably be implemented here in Thunder Bay, at least more than what they have in the past.”
