Province Moves to Further Improve Road Safety

SERVICE N.S./MUNICIPAL RELATIONS--Province Moves to Further Improve Road Safety

As of April 1, unsafe drivers will face higher fines and more demerit points on their record. Speeding, not stopping for school buses or crossing guards, and drunk driving are among the targeted behaviours.

Speeding is often a contributing factor in collisions -- one that the driver has direct control over. The RCMP and the Highway 101 Report both recommended that the province adopt a graduated penalty system, a safety program being used by other provinces and territories.

Penalties for speeding will be graduated, with fines and demerit points increasing based on how fast the driver is travelling. Exceeding the speed limit by up to 15 kilometres per hour will result in a $50 fine and two demerit points. Driving 16-30 kilometres per hour above the speed limit will cost the driver $100 and three demerit points. The penalty for driving more than 30 kilometres per hour over the speed limit will be $250 and four points. These are first offence fines, subsequent offences will yield higher fines.

Passing a school bus while its red lights are flashing will add six demerit points to a driver's record, up from five. The penalty for failing to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk will rise to four points from two. Failing to obey a crossing guard will garner six points. All of these offences carry a $250 fine as well.

The changes are among the latest round of amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act aimed at making Nova Scotia's highways and roads safer for motorists and pedestrians. Earlier this month the province announced a 30 per cent decline in highway fatalities between 1996 and 2001.

"Collisions and fatalities cost a lot, both in terms of human suffering and the burden on the taxpayer. I hope these stiffer fines and increased demerit points will convince people to drive more safely," said Angus MacIsaac, Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. "If unsafe drivers modify their behaviours, we should see our fatality statistics continue to decline."

Additional changes to the Motor Vehicle Act come into effect on April 1. They include:

• Defining a crossing guard and the authority he or she has.
• Revoking, rather than suspending, the driver's licence of any youth found guilty of a Criminal Code offence involving a motor vehicle and alcohol. Previously, young offenders found guilty but not convicted of an offence could not have their licences revoked.
• Requiring that police officers file a report after issuing a 90-day roadside suspension.
• Allowing fire departments to use engine-enhanced braking systems -- commonly referred to as jake brakes.
• Confirming that the Registrar of Motor Vehicles' has the right to specify a reinstatement process and fee structure for drivers whose licences have been suspended.
• Specifying that the province can now establish a commercial carrier registration process and set administrative fees, following new federal legislation that requires interprovincial trucking firms to register in the jurisdiction where their vehicles are plated.

Changes announced earlier this year increased safety for highway work crews. Drivers now face four demerit points on their record, and a fine, if they ignore traffic-control persons in work areas.

"We're continuing our crackdown on people who drink and drive or who otherwise pose a risk to other motorists and passengers," said Mr. MacIsaac.

In Nova Scotia, a driver receives a warning letter after accumulating four demerit points. After six points the driver must attend an interview with a driver enhancement officer and possibly undergo re-testing.

After 10 points are accumulated, the driver faces a six-month suspension. A one-year probationary licence is issued at the end of the suspension, and a new six-month suspension will be imposed if the driver accumulates three new demerits during the probation period.

The letter, interview and suspension thresholds for new drivers in the Graduated Driver Licensing program are two, four and six points respectively.