Distracted Driving Rules

6 things to know about new distracted driving rules

Published on Tue, Mar 18 2014. New fines for distracted driving will change the rules of the road in Ontario. Here are the six top things you should know about the proposed legislation:

• The legislation is expected to pass in a vote early this spring and has all-party support.
• The legislation is expected to pass in a vote early this spring and has all-party support. 
• Fines for distracted driving jump from $155 to $280 today (Tuesday).
• Fines range from $300 to $1,000, along with three demerit points, for using cellphones while driving. 
• Fines range from $300 to $1,000, and three demerit points, for opening a door in the path of a cyclist.
• Motorists would have to keep one metre from cyclists on the road.  

Fines range from $60 to $500 for cyclists not using required lights and reflectors What exactly is distracted driving? According to Const. Clint Stibbe, with the Toronto police’s Traffic Services, distracted driving occurs any time a person is operating a motor vehicle while holding a mobile device. 

This means the device doesn’t need to be turned on, and the car can’t just be stopped; the device must be located away from the driver, and the car must be fully parked. For example, using a mobile device while stopped at a red light can still result in a ticket, Stibbe told the Star.