Last night, or more precisely early this morning, Ontario's newest amendments to its Highway Traffic Act came into effect.
The amendments to the Act, contained in Bill 203 and the accompanying Regulation 455/07: races, contests and stunts may put a crimp into some individuals usual driving habits.
Under the amendments anyone caught going 50/kph above the posted speed limit can/may/WILL have their vehicle impounded for a week, the driver's license will be suspended - i.e. seized - and get a minimum $2,000 CAD fine.
Also, the unfortunate speeder or stuntest is liable for the towing and storage charges, of course, for the weeks impoundment. There is no appeal only after the fact.
No appeal or hearing
(13) There is no appeal from, or right to be heard before, a vehicle detention, driver’s licence suspension or vehicle impoundment under subsection (5), (6) or (7), but this subsection does not affect the taking of any proceeding in court.
Lien for storage costs
(14) The costs incurred by the person who operates the impound facility where a motor vehicle is impounded under this section are a lien on the motor vehicle that may be enforced under the Repair and Storage Liens Act.
Costs to be paid before release of vehicle
(15) The person who operates the impound facility where a motor vehicle is impounded under subsection (7) is not required to release the motor vehicle until the removal and impound costs for the vehicle have been paid.
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To translate the amendments into imperial & US units: anyone caught going 30/mph above the posted speed limit can/may/WILL have their vehicle impounded for a week, the driver's license will be suspended - i.e. seized and get a minimum $2,091.07 US (the CAD was slightly above par with the USD on Friday but financial institutions usually ding you with a fee for exchanging funds. I assumed a 4% fee -which maybe too high - thus for ordinary souls $1.0053 USD X 1.04 = $1.00 CAD)
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I had wondered about the "coming into force" date of the amendments, here in this part of North America Thanksgiving is next weekend - i.e. the harvest really is over, the leaves are 60 to 70 percent red and gold and we are hoping for a real Winter.
The long holiday weekend, less so the reason for it, will mean there is more than the usual number of drivers on the province's highways and particularly, as I recall, on the stretch of the MacDonald-Cartier (the 401) between Toronto and Montreal. It also means lots of speeding violations on this section as people race (no pun intended) back and forth between the two cities.
I'll bet the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) have fun with the new amendments and I thought when I saw the effective date: "Are they using this part of the weekend before Canadian Thanksgiving to work out bugs in implementing the new law?"
In case they are, I have a few questions:
If you're pulled over in the middle-of-nowhere on the 401, the vehicle is impounded and the driver's licence is lifted how do you get home to Montreal or Toronto?
Are the OPP going to have a shuttle bus laid-on?
Will they phone you a taxi (yah in the middle-of-nowhere)?
Will you be allowed to break the existing Highway Traffic Act and hitch-hike?
Hey this could be a really expensive weekend coming up. I'm going to stay home.
Technorati Tags: Canada, Ontario, Speeding, Traffic law