January 5th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Speeding and aggressive driving are the top complaints by residents in the Halton Region, according to the Regional Police.
Officers work diligently to educate drivers about the dangers of bad driving behaviour and conduct enforcement to ensure people are getting the message. The province’s Making Ontario’s Roads Safer Act requires drivers to be more patient and alert when driving through busy pedestrian intersections.
On January 1, 2016, drivers in Ontario will have to wait until a pedestrian has reached the other side of a designated school crossing or designated pedestrian crossover, or face a fine between $150.00 and $500.00 and three demerit points.
Drivers will have to stop and yield the entire width of the road to the pedestrian, instead of half the road as was previously the case. Cyclists must follow the same rules as drivers under the Highway Traffic Act, and thereby must stop and wait or face the same fine.
These rules apply at pedestrian crossovers identified with specific signs, road markings and lights – the new rules do not apply to pedestrian crosswalks at intersections with stop signs or traffic signals, unless a school crossing guard is present.
It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure our roads are the safest they can be. Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians must share the road and look out for each other. Make 2016 your safest driving year yet!
Good luck on getting the cyclists to adhere to this rule.
A number of months ago, perhaps it was last year, we recall hearing a police officer tell city Councillor’s that the people they stopped for speeding on a residential street were usually found to be people who lived on the street.
Human nature – it will eventually be the end of us.
This law is very confusing and not well explained. People think this law applies to all intersections that have crosswalks, and it doesn’t. It applies when when there is a crossing guard present, and dedicated pedestrian crossovers the ones that usually have the flashing lights.
I don’t think Burlington actually has any marked pedestrian crossovers, so it appears that the rule would only apply to school crossing guards.
“Good luck on getting the cyclists to adhere to this rule”…I guess anyone who dares to ride a bicycle in this city obviously must be a maniac whose only purpose in life is to run over little children. What kind of ignorant comment is that?
I am confused. If I read it correctly the new law would not apply to the intersection of Lakeshore and Brant because there is a traffic light?
That is where I most often have to avoid a car. I am walkng westbound across Brant, with the walk signal, yet cars turning left off Lakeshore cut in front of me and often way too close for comfort. Many times I have had to stop in my tracks to avoid a car.
This new law is ridiculous and unenforceable.
The majority of drivers will ignore it. Already the case in Toronto.
Cars would not be able to turn right at many intersections if law adhered to.