New Road Safety Legislation and Your Workplace

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has introduced new laws designed to improve safety on the roads.

It is important for workplaces to be aware of this new legislation and respond accordingly as many workers operate motor vehicles on the job whether it is for work duties or for travel between meetings or sites.  While on the road, workers are at high risk of injury and death.

Bill 118: Countering Distracted Driving and Promoting Green Transportation Act 

This Bill has been passed and will come into effect October 26, 2009.  This law will prohibit the use of all hand-held electronic devices including cell phones, ipods and text messaging devices.   It will also prohibit the use of visual devices such as laptop computers and DVD players.  GPS devices can still be used but must be mounted on the dash board and not manipulated while driving.

•        Under Ontario's new law, fines of up to $500 can be levied against distracted drivers who text, type, email, dial, or chat using a prohibited hand-held device.

•        Ontario joins more than 50 countries worldwide and a growing number of North American jurisdictions that have similar distracted driving legislation including Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, California and New York.

TO LEARN MORE about this new law, how to comply with it or the evidence to support it visit:

The Government of Ontario’s Newsroom

Bill 203: Safer Roads for a Safer Ontario Act. 

This law creates escalating administrative sanctions for repeat drinking drivers with a blood alcohol concentration measuring 0.05 to 0.08 (within the “warn” range).  It came into effect May 1, 2009.  The first instance will result in the driver being suspended for three days.

While Ontario has come a long way, impaired driving remains a serious problem:

• Impaired drivers are involved in thousands of traffic collisions every year.
• Every year, about 17,000 drivers are convicted of Criminal Code of Canada offences (including impaired driving, driving with a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.08, criminal negligence causing bodily harm or death, manslaughter, dangerous driving and failure to remain at the scene of a collision (usually drinking and driving related).
• Drunk driving accounts for almost 25% of all fatalities on Ontario’s roads.
• In 2005, 174 people were killed and 3,852 were injured in motor vehicle collisions involving a drinking driver. (MTO)

Drinking and driving is a concern for workplaces as workers could be consuming alcohol before coming to work or drinking on the job.

Consider Road Safety Policies for Your Workplace

Do you have policies around cell phone use?  Transporting passengers in company vehicles? Alcohol consumption and driving?

Consultation is available to assist with policy development for issues related to road safety.

If you would like more information on road safety, please contact Colleen Cooper, Region of Waterloo Public Health Nurse, at 519-883-2000 ext. 5324.

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