Joel Harden MPP / Député, Ottawa Centre

Government of Ontario

Moving Ontarians Safely Act

Published on March 26, 2023

Bill 40, the Moving Ontarians Safely Act, is a piece of Legislation introduced by MPP Joel Harden and Co-Sponsored by MPP's Jessica BellDoly Begum and Bhutila Karpoche that seeks to introduce new road safety measures to protect our most vulnerable road users.

Currently, drivers who kill or seriously injure pedestrians due to careless driving are charged under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act and typically walk away with small fines.

If the Moving Ontarians Safely Act is passedpenalties will apply to all driving offences under the Highway Traffic Act that result in the death or serious injury of a vulnerable road user. 

The penalties introduced by the bill include:

  • community service;

  • license suspension;

  • driver re-education;

  • requirements for culpable motorists to attend court for sentencing and to hear victim impact statements.

Vulnerable road users like cyclists, pedestrians, road workers and people who use mobility devices like walkers or wheelchairs, would all be protected by this bill.

Show your support for Bill 40 by signing our petition here or downloading a shareable here.

 


 

Over four days, September 21-24, in his capacity as Ontario’s Critic for Active Transportation, MPP Joel Harden (Ottawa Centre) will ride his bike from Ottawa to the Ontario Legislature. Along the way he will host community conversations about safety for vulnerable road users (pedestrians, wheelchair users, cyclists and others).

We are calling this the #SafetyRide for people and planet.

Our #SafetyRide will stop in rural, suburban, and urban areas. We hope to hear stories that inspire change.

Our #SafetyRide is about promoting active transportation, seeing the beauty of Ontario by bicycle, and protecting vulnerable road users. Vulnerable road users include cyclists, pedestrians, road workers and people who use mobility devices like walkers or wheelchairs.

This ride isn’t just a challenge, it’s a fun way to think about how to make our communities safer and more sustainable. We want to know what you think. The Ontario Legislature has debated the Protecting Vulnerable Road Users Act five times in the last ten years but it has yet to be passed into law. We are hoping our #SafetyRide can inspire this to happen in Ontario's 43rd Parliament. Our PMB is Bill 40 the Moving Ontarians Safely Act. It includes the following measures for those found guilty of road offenses: community service; license suspension; driver re-education; and also requires a culpable motorist to attend court for sentencing and to hear victim impact statements.

We will also make history: this is the first time an Ontario MPP is biking to Toronto from a significant distance, with the explicit objective of wanting to listen to those with serious concerns about road safety, active transportation, and environmental change. Join us!

  • September 20th Kickoff Ride in Ottawa
    • 5:00 PM @ Chief William Commanda Bridge 
  • September 21st Community Consultation in Kingston
    • 5:00 PM @ Kingston City Hall (Memorial Hall)
  • September 22nd Community Consultation in Brighton
    • 4:00 PM @ Brighton Public Library
  • September 23rd Community Consultation in Oshawa
    • 5:00 PM @ YWCA Durham Gymnasium
  • September 24th Community Consultation in Scarborough
    • 12:00 PM @ Variety Village
  • September 24th Community Bike Ride from Scarborough to Queen's Park
    • 2:00 @ Variety Village, Scarborough
    • 2:30 @ East Lynn Park, Corner of Danforth Ave and West Lynn Avenue
    • 3:30 @ Nathan Phillips Square
  • September 24th Community Consultation at Queen’s Park
    • 4:15 @ Queens Park South Lawn