Washington: Highway Bridge Situated Between Seattle/Vancouver Collapses

Admin — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:49:15 +0000

Update:

A highway bridge has collapsed between Seattle and Vancouver sending people into the river below. Source: AAP

A BRIDGE carrying a freeway over a river in the northwestern US state of Washington has partially collapsed, sending cars and people plunging into the water below, police say.

At least three people were fished out, but there were no reports of serious injuries or fatalities in the incident, which may have been caused by a high-sided truck hitting a bridge span, a spokesman said on Thursday.

Pictures showed a large, mangled section of the bridge, which carries the Interstate 5 highway over the Skagit river north of Seattle, collapsed into the water, with traffic and crowds of people visible on the end nearest land.

“People and cars in water,” Mark Francis, spokesman for the Washington state highway patrol, said on his Twitter feed.

The police did not immediately return calls seeking more details, including on potential casualties.

The four-lane road bridge, built in 1955 according to reports, is some 95km north of Seattle.

The I-5 freeway runs up the US West Coast, north from the scene of the collapse to the Canadian border towards Vancouver.

At least two cars were in the water, and three people were rescued from vehicles, Marcus Deyerin, spokesman for the Northwest Washington Incident Management Team, told the Seattle Times.

Rescuers believed they had pulled everyone involved out of the water, but they were not sure, he added, saying the section of bridge collapsed about 7pm (1200 AEST Friday).

A law enforcement source cited by the Seattle Times said about 140 metres of freeway collapsed, sending a car, a truck and a trailer into the water some 40 metres below.

“It’s a hell of a ride,” the source was quoted as saying.

Reports suggested the collapse may have been triggered by a large truck hitting some part of the bridge structure.

“We are looking at a potential over-height load,” Travis Phelps, a spokesman for the Washington State Department of Transportation, told Kiro 7 television.

Witness Dale Ogden told KING 5 television he saw the truck strike the bridge.

“I was less than 50 feet (15 metres) away from the truck when it hit it … I had just passed it in the fast lane southbound and it had an oversized load.

“It was approximately 12 feet (3.6 metres) wide and over 14 feet (4.3 metres) tall … I saw the truck strike the right corner of the bridge. It almost tipped the truck over, but it came back down,” he said.

“It tipped it up to about a 30-degree angle to the left and it came back down on its wheels and almost instantaneously behind that I saw girders falling in my rear view mirror.”

Edmonton: Pothole Budget to Balloon to $50 Million by 2015

Admin — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:22:07 +0000

Update:

see source

The city is looking into a long-term strategy to deal with the thousands of potholes dotting Edmonton roads.

Transportation manager Bob Boutilier said more money is needed to do roadway maintenance and rehabilitation.

The city budgeted $20 million for pothole repairs this year — and Boutilier said he would like to see this more than double to $50 million by 2015.

A strong maintenance program should mean less potholes in the future, he said Thursday.

“It’s a matter of state of good repair,” said Boutilier, “and state of good repair begins the day you take on the infrastructure.”

“The problem we run into is that when the road is new and you think ‘well, everything’s fine’ you start to let things slip a bit — but… ultimately, you do have to do something underneath,” he said.

Boutilier says potholes like these are a symptom of a bigger problem. (CBC)Boutilier said the added investment will go towards a longer-term plan for roadway management.

“In some cases, the potholes, or the bumps in the road, are a symptom of the problem underneath,” he said. “And that’s where we want to get ahead of the game because we can’t wait until we start having failure of road systems — then it’s very expensive” [to repair].

“A lot of the preventative maintenance we’re doing will extend the life of the roadway so we’re not rehabilitating as frequently.”

Coun. Don Iveson agrees with Boutilier that correcting the pothole problem is worth the higher price tag.

He said he’s confident that Edmontonians will support council investing more in the pothole problem.

“We’ve done great work on our local roads and some of our bus routes, but our main roads are really starting to show some of the results of failing to invest — not just for the last couple of years, but really going back 20 years.”

“So we’ve got a lot of catching up to do — but citizens expect it.”

He said he expects city council to support the plan.

Canada: Privacy Laws Inadequate for Digital Age According to Federal Privacy Commissioner

Admin — Fri, 24 May 2013 04:30:36 +0000

Update:

Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart says Canadian privacy law ‘lacks mechanisms strong enough to ensure organizations invest appropriately in privacy.’ (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

see source

Canadians’ trust in the digital economy is at risk because our laws don’t have enough teeth to compel companies to protect consumers’ privacy, Canada’s privacy commissioner says.

“It is increasingly clear that the law is not up to the task of meeting the challenges of today – and certainly not those of tomorrow,” Jennifer Stoddart said Thursday when she released a report recommending changes to Canadian privacy legislation governing the private sector.

“The legislation lacks mechanisms strong enough to ensure organizations invest appropriately in privacy. As a result, consumer trust in the digital economy is at risk.”

‘Right now, the only real power I have is to name.’—Jennifer Stoddart, privacy commissioner of Canada

Speaking to members of the International Association of Privacy Professionals at their annual Canada Privacy Symposium, where she released her position paper, Stoddart noted that technological advances have massively expanded the scale of personal information that organizations can collect, store and use as they create new products and services. Sometimes, she added, that occurs in ways that are intrusive, or without the genuine consent of the individuals that the personal information belongs to.

Stoddart has previously complained that many companies, such as social media websites, routinely ignore Canadian privacy laws.

She said Thursday that other countries have already made changes to their privacy laws to address the challenges posed by new technology and it is important that Canadian legislation “evolve to keep up with the rest of the world.”

In order to address such issues, Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) must be beefed up to include stronger enforcement, she added.

“Right now, the only real power I have is to name [companies that break the law],” she said. “This provides Canadians with information about where they may — or may not — wish to take their business. But how can Canadians vote with their feet when increasing amounts of their personal information are being held by fewer and fewer organizations?”

Stoddart’s paper recommends expanding enforcement powers under the law to allow for:

Financial penalties such as compensation for damages, administered by the Federal Court or fines imposed by the privacy commissioner.
The privacy commissioner to make orders that companies must comply with.
Currently, the privacy commissioner can recommend actions companies can take to comply with privacy legislation, but would need to go to Federal Court to get an enforceable order.

Stoddart also recommends measures to boosting transparency and accountability of companies that gather, store and use Canadians’ personal information by requiring companies to:

Notify both the privacy commissioner and affected individuals in the case of a privacy breach.
Publicly report the number of disclosures of Canadians’ personal information they have made to law enforcement agencies and government institutions. PIPEDA allows law enforcement and government agencies to obtain this information without consent.
Be accountable for their commitments to improve privacy practices, following an investigation or audit, by being required to demonstrate compliance within a set time period or face consequences.

Voluntary privacy breach reporting ‘unacceptable’

In the case of privacy breaches, organizations can currently report breaches voluntarily, but don’t have to, a situation that Stoddart called “unacceptable” and “unfair.” She noted that organizations that do report breaches often suffer damage to their reputation and costs associated with fixing the problem. “Meanwhile, those that do not report may escape with no negative effects on their reputation or bottom line.”

Stoddart has been calling for similar changes for years, but so far the government has not committed to updating PIPEDA.

B.C.: 41-Year-Old Supervises 11-Year-Old Girl Operating Motor Vehicle – Ends in Death of 12-Year-Old Girl

Admin — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:34:42 +0000

Update:

see source

Police are stressing the dangers of allowing youngsters behind the wheel after a 12-year-old Mackenzie girl was killed when a Jeep driven by an 11-year-old girl flipped on a forest service road.

RCMP Sgt. Dan Moskaluk said a 41-year-old man was supervising the young driver when she lost control of the vehicle about six kilometres out of town.

“We see time and time again the situation of an adult supervising an unlicensed driver,” Moskaluk told The Province. “There’s a lot of risks involved – here’s a situation where something went terribly wrong.

“There are reasons why laws are in place,” said Moskaluk, noting that driver training involves studying rules and regulations before getting behind the wheel. “The 11-year-old was driving and lost control of the vehicle, and it ended up on its side.”

A person close to the three individuals involved said the accident has taken its toll.

“It’s a lot for the family,” said the man, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“There’s a lot of grieving going on.” The tragic accident is hitting home for the small town 190 kilometres north of Prince George.

“It’s a lot for the community to take right now,” he said.

The fatal accident happened at about 7 p.m. Friday on the Causeway Forest Service Road. The 12-year-old died at the scene. All three people in the 1994 Jeep YJ are from the Mackenzie area.

Mackenzie RCMP Sgt. Sydney Lecky said “the impact on the community and in our elementary and high schools has been significant.

“Investigators and RCMP Victim Assistance workers continue to work with the community in providing support to the affected families.”

U.S.: Hospitality Industry Fear Harsh Drink-driving Laws Proposed (0.05 BAC)

Admin — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:49:36 +0000

Restaurants are worried about the possibility of these new laws being implemented and the potential exposure that they may face.

see source

Imagine having a drink with dinner at a restaurant only to be pulled over on the way home and slapped with a DUI. That could happen under a proposed plan to toughen the drunk driving laws across the country, and it has restaurateurs alarmed.

The National Transportation Safety Board wants states to make it illegal to drive with a blood-alcohol content level above 0.05. Currently all U.S. states set the limit at 0.08. For some people, the lower level could mean no more than a glass of wine.

“It would have a devastating impact on the restaurant industry,” said Sarah Longwell, the managing director of the American Beverage Institute.

With a limit as low as 0.05, social drinkers would be the ones most likely to cut back when they go out to eat, she said. “You basically take away a part of the experience of dining out. When you take that element away, you take away some of the magic, the ambiance of a night out,” Longwell said.

“It could have a chilling effect on sales,” said Paul Gatza, the director of the Brewers Association, a trade group that represents small American brewers. For restaurants that serve alcohol, beer sales generally account for about 10 to 20 percent of their revenue while wine and spirits make up another 10 to 20 percent, Gatza said.

The whole hospitality industry will take a hit, Longwell said. “It impacts servers, bartenders, suppliers, ” Longwell said.

The new blood-alcohol proposal is based on research that shows impairment begins with the first drink. “The research clearly shows that drivers with a BAC above 0.05 are impaired and at a significantly greater risk of being involved in a crash where someone is killed or injured,” NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman said Tuesday in announcing the proposal.

More than 100 countries already have BAC limits at 0.05 or lower, according to the NTSB.

The NTSB is targeting the annual rate of 10,000 fatalities caused by drunk drivers, but reducing the blood alcohol level fails to impact the heavy drinkers who drive above the 0.15 percent level and who are responsible for over 70 percent of drunk-driving fatalities, according to American Beverage Institute numbers. “It will have a tremendous impact on the moderate social drinker and almost no impact on the hard-core drinkers,” Longwell said.

The Distilled Spirits Council echoed that sentiment. “We join with other organizations, including those engaged in traffic safety, in maintaining our strong support for the strict enforcement of the .08 BAC level and continuing the fight against hardcore drunk drivers. Progress has been made in decreasing alcohol-related traffic fatalities. Reducing the BAC level will not be an effective strategy,” the council said in a statement.

Even Mothers Against Drunk Driving said Tuesday it appreciates the NTSB’s attention to the issue, but will keep its own advocacy focused on its Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, which backs the current .08 limit, calls for high-profile law enforcement and in-car breathalyzers for offenders.

One sector the new level would help is retail sales of alcohol, said Libby Bierman, an analyst at Sageworks, a private-company data expert firm. “It might encourage people to drink at home or pick up something and take to a friend’s house,” she said.

Beer, wine and liquor store profits have been on the upswing since 2009, according to the Sageworks data collected from private companies across the U.S. “This whole industry has always done well, even during the recession,” Bierman said.

Overall, the private beer, wine and liquor stores never dipped into the red like many other industries during the worst of the recession. They posted a 0.87 percent net profit margin in 2009 and that climbed to 2.88 percent for 2012, according to Sageworks’ numbers.

The NTSB plan was proposed Tuesday along with other enforcement measures including the use of in-vehicle drunk-detection technology and targeting of repeat offenders. States have the power to set their own blood-alcohol limits, which have all remained at .08 since 2004. The NTSB first issued the .08 recommendation in 1982. The amount of alcohol required for intoxication varies among individuals based on weight, tolerance and other factors.

Australia: Queensland to Force 75-Year-Old Driver’s To Submit to Yearly Medical Examinations

Admin — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:57:50 +0000

Update:

see source

Australia’s state government of Queensland has laid down a new set of changes to securing and renewing driver licenses for old-timer and new entrant drivers.

Effective before end of 2013, drivers aged 75 years old and above would have to undergo yearly medical examinations and secure medical certificates as part of requirements to renew their drivers’ licenses.

According to an earlier report by The Courier Mail, Queensland has about 160,000 licensed drivers aged 75 years old and above as of June 2011. The state government predicts the figure to grow in 2021 by 75 per cent.

“The reality is, it’s not just going to be about issuing a medical certificate or not,” Transport Minister Scott Emerson over the weekend.

“It could be that doctors could issue a medical certificate with certain restrictions, such as limiting the number of hours that someone can drive during the day, or even limiting the distance they can drive.

“I believe this is a sensible change to protect older drivers, particularly as the population ages.”

More Rigorous Tests for First-Timers

New entrant drivers meantime will be faced with rigorous tests concerning skills and attitudes tests on high-risk manoeuvres.

Mr Emerson noted younger drivers are more at risk so they have to be better and more prepared and educated when it comes to fatalities on our roads.

“Last year 84 young drivers aged 16 to 24 were involved in fatal crashes – five ahead of the previous year,” he said.

Greg Urbahn, an instructor for Indooroopilly Driving School, lauded the new reforms, noting that many young drivers don’t know how to merge safely at high speeds.

“Reverse parking is a key part of the test (at the moment) but no one can get maimed or killed by that action,” Mr Urbahn told Herald Sun.

Driving test officers will check on entrant’s high-risk manoeuvres, such as merging at high speeds and turning across oncoming traffic.

The pilot for the new test will take effect by mid-2014.

The extreme changes for old and new, young drivers were part of recommendations pushed by an expert panel, which include an overhaul of the Q-Safe driving test.

Virginia: Elderly Driver Plows Into Trail Days Festival Parade, Injures Up to 60 Hikers in Parade

Admin — Sun, 19 May 2013 12:53:21 +0000

Update:

Bystanders helped people injured after a car, at right, struck marchers in the annual Hikers Parade in Damascus, Va. Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier, via Associated Press

see source

RICHMOND, Va. – A car driven by an elderly man who may have lost consciousness plowed through a small-town parade of hiking enthusiasts in southwestern Virginia on Saturday, injuring dozens of people, nine seriously enough to be sent to hospitals, authorities said.

The incident occurred in the Appalachian town of Damascus at the start of the annual Trail Days festival, as the main street was filled with hikers making their way from one end of town to a park at the other, volunteer fire department chief Ben Sanders told Reuters.

Sanders said investigators were uncertain what caused the collision between the automobile and the parade, but it appeared that the elderly man behind the wheel “passed out or had some medical issue, and he ran through the crowd with his car.”

None of the injuries was believed to be life-threatening, Sanders added.

He said the motorist told authorities afterward he did not remember what had happened.

The director of emergency management for Washington County, Virginia, L.V. Pokey Harris, said 50 to 60 people in the parade were hurt, the majority of them suffering superficial injuries. Four victims were flown to hospitals by helicopter, and five others were transported by ambulance, she said.

Steve Webb, who helps run a backpacking and outfitters store in town, said a number of hikers he spoke with afterward told him they saw bystanders lifting the runaway car off a person who had been dragged under the vehicle.

Webb said amateur video footage he saw of the accident showed “the car coming up behind the hikers and running through them,” adding that the automobile in question appeared to have pulled around an ambulance before plowing into the crowd.

The annual Trail Days festival draws thousands of tourists to Damascus for an event celebrating the town’s proximity to four scenic trails that converge there – the Appalachian Trail, U.S. Bicycle Route 76, the Iron Mountain Trail and the Virginia Creeper Trail.

Toronto: City Denies that Speed Limits are Set “Too Low” to Make it Easier to Issue Tickets: The Fixer

Admin — Sat, 18 May 2013 03:16:13 +0000

Update: see previous posts – April 1, 2013 Toronto: Police Speed Traps Rake in the Dough When Limits Are Too Low: The Fixer, July 9, 2012 Radar Traps in Toronto, July 3, 2012 Texas Woman Arrested for Warning Drivers About Speed Trap, November 19, 2011 Auto Insurance Increases After Speeding Ticket Conviction (15 km/h over – No demerit points), September 11, 2011 Warning Other Driver’s of Radar Traps is Legal in Ontario, July 20, 2011 Guelph Man Ticketted After Warning Other Driver’s of Police Radar, December 28, 2010 Texas Man Warns Motorists of Upcoming Radar Traps, November 21, 2010 Photo Radar – Ontario Liberals are Re-Introducing it into the Highway Traffic Act, September 2, 2010 Toronto – Radar Trap Central, December 26, 2009 Revealing radar traps to other Motorists, is this act illegal?

Police officer writing up a speeding ticket for the operator of a vehicle that he picked up on his radar unit.. Speed limits are often set 10 to 15 kph lower than they should be, which means drivers moving at the natural speed of traffic are an easy target for a cop with a radar gun, says traffic safety expert James Walker.
The city says speed limits are not deliberately set lower than they should be, to make it easier for police officers, like this one clocking vehicles on Dundas Street West., to issue very expensive (with demerit points attached) speeding tickets.

see source

Are speed limits deliberately set lower than they should be to make it easier for police to issue tickets as a means of generating revenue?

It depends on who you believe.

The city says no, but it’s unlikely anyone would own up to it, even if they were.

The 85th percentile speed of the natural flow of traffic is used as the benchmark to set speed limits in Toronto, says Jacqueline White, an acting director of transportation services.

Police officer writes up a speeding ticket for a motorist caught in a radar trap. A transportation services official concedes that setting of speed limits can be influenced by community pressure.

And radar speed traps “are absolutely not a factor” in determining the right speed for any street, said White, adding ticket revenue is never considered.

That doesn’t square with the opinion of traffic safety expert James Walker, who says speed limits are deliberately set too low across North America, to make speeders out of otherwise law-abiding drivers.

Walker, a board member of the National Motorists Association, says speed limits are often set 10 km/h to 15 km/h lower than the natural speed of 85 per cent of traffic, partly to generate ticket revenue.

We’ve been writing about speed trap fishing holes set up by police in places where it is easy to reel in drivers going about 15 km/h over the limit, just enough to qualify for a ticket.

More from thestar.com:

Police speed traps rake in the dough when limits are too low.

Readers think police focus speed traps on fishing holes.

Our online map of GTA fishing holes, as identified by drivers, has been a big hit, and we want readers to check it out and let us know about any locations that we’ve missed, so we can add them to the map.

It raises questions about the considerations in the setting of speed limits, but White said the city usually uses the 85th percentile speed, as identified in traffic surveys, as the basis for setting limits.

Walker says traffic studies consistently show that limits are lower than the 85th percentile speed, which would reduce accidents and make roads safer if it was consistently used to set speed limits.

He notes that in many places, local government is pressured by communities to lower speed limits, which is OK on residential streets but not on arterial roads with more traffic.

In U.S. communities where speed limits have been increased — a rare occurrence — he said the number of accidents has consistently gone down.

White conceded that far more speed limits in Toronto have been lowered than raised, mainly due to community demands, and that she can recall only one instance of where one was increased, about 10 years ago in Etobicoke.

Ontario: If Your Vehicle is Seized and Impounded – Questions and Answers

Admin — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:33:19 +0000

Update:

see source

Vehicle Impoundment Program – It’s Your Vehicle, Your Responsibility

Under the vehicle impoundment program, all vehicle owners will have a greater responsibility for ensuring that every person driving their vehicle has a valid driver’s licence.

Don’t let a suspended driver behind the wheel.
Check for a driver’s licence validity online.

Tough Measures for Suspended and Impaired Drivers

Ontario’s Vehicle Impoundment Programs are aimed at making the province’s roads safer.

In Ontario, drivers who operate a motor vehicle while under licence suspension can face one of two kinds of impoundment:

Vehicles driven in Ontario by persons apprehended for driving while their licence is suspended for a Criminal Code conviction will be impounded for a minimum of 45 days;
Effective December 1, 2010, drivers caught driving with a driver’s licence that is already under a specific Highway Traffic Act (HTA) suspension(s) – including default of family support, but not including suspensions for defaulted fines or medical conditions* will have the vehicle they are driving impounded for seven days.

Also effective December 1, 2010: Impoundments for:

Drivers required to have a vehicle ignition interlock device and who are caught driving without such a device; and
All drivers caught with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over 0.08 or who fail/refuse to comply with a demand (to provide a breath sample) made by a police officer under the Criminal Code of Canada (CCC).

These are in addition to the existing 7-day impoundment for drivers engaged in a race, stunt or contest on Ontario’s roads.

A series of helpful questions and answers are provided below to help explain how these two kinds of impoundments (Criminal Code and 7-Day) work:

Questions & Answers:

Driving While Under Criminal Code Suspension

How does the Vehicle Impoundment Program work for drivers caught operating a vehicle under a suspension for a Criminal Code conviction?

A driver caught driving while his/her licence is suspended for a Criminal Code conviction will be given an impoundment notice (issued by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles) by a police officer. The vehicle will immediately be towed to an impound yard for a minimum of 45 days. The vehicle owner or plate holder must pay the towing and storage costs before the vehicle is released at the end of the impoundment period.

Why was this Criminal Code impoundment program created?

Drivers who continue to drive while their licence has been suspended for a Criminal Code conviction show no regard for the law and put others at risk. In 2009, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation recorded almost 19,000 motor vehicle-related Criminal Code convictions. Most of those convictions were related to drinking and driving. Other convictions included driving while disqualified and fail to remain at the scene of a collision.

Who can have their vehicle impounded?

Any person caught driving while suspended in Ontario for a Criminal Code conviction will have the vehicle he/she is driving impounded. Regardless of whether the vehicle is borrowed from a friend or family member, used for business or employment purposes, rented or leased, the vehicle will be impounded. This program applies to all motor vehicle types including passenger vehicles, motorcycles, trucks and buses.

How much will it cost to get my vehicle back?

Vehicle owners/plate holders are liable for towing and storage costs and can expect to pay up to $1,800 for a 45-day impoundment period. In addition, suspended drivers may face fines ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 if convicted under the Highway Traffic Act for driving under a Criminal Code suspension.

Can I appeal the impoundment?

Yes, a vehicle owner/plate holder can appeal an impoundment on the following grounds:

Vehicle was stolen at the time of the impoundment;
Driver was not under a Criminal Code suspension;
Vehicle owner/plate holder exercised all reasonable efforts (i.e. due diligence) to ensure
that the driver had a valid driver’s licence; or
Loss of the vehicle would result in exceptional hardship.

There is a $100 fee to file an appeal. In the event of a successful appeal, any towing and storage costs will be refunded. The filing fee to the License Appeal Tribunal is non-refundable.

What are my responsibilities as a vehicle owner/plate holder?

You are responsible for taking all reasonable steps, depending on your particular situation, to ensure that every person who drives your vehicle has a valid driver’s licence. To verify a valid driver’s licence through the Ministry of Transportation (MTO):

Call 1-900-565-6555 for an automated service. A cost of $2.50 per check will be charged to your phone bill. Please have the driver’s licence number ready; or
Access MTO’s website. Users may check more than one driver’s licence number at $2.00 per
check payable by MasterCard or Visa; or
Obtain a driver’s abstract at MTO’s Driver & Vehicle Licence Issuing Offices ($12.00 per abstract)

What information is provided by MTO’s automated driver licence check services?

The automated telephone and internet services provide information on the validity of a driver’s licence as well as a verification number confirming a valid response. A valid response means that the driver’s licence is not under suspension, is not expired, or has not been cancelled. Effective December 2002, this verification includes whether a driver has an ignition interlock condition on his or her driver’s licence.

Q&A: 7-Day Vehicle Impoundment Programs

What are the 7-Day Vehicle Impoundment Programs?

Under the Road Safety Act, 2009, three new seven-day vehicle impoundments are effective December 1, 2010. These are in addition to the 7-day impoundment for drivers engaged in a race, stunt or contest on Ontario’s roads and include:

Drivers caught driving with a driver’s licence that is already under specific HTA suspension(s) – including those related to default of family support, failure to complete remedial measures, “warn range” (0.05 – 0.08 Blood Alcohol Concentration), Novice Driver Escalating Sanctions Program, demerit point accumulations, and careless driving – but not including suspensions for defaulted fines or medical conditions;
Drivers required to have a vehicle ignition interlock device and are found driving without such a device; and
Drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over .08 (or who fail/refuse to comply with a demand made by a police officer under S. 254 of the Criminal Code)

Who can have their vehicle impounded?

Vehicle impoundment will apply to drivers suspended under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act and its regulations. Drivers licensed in Ontario, unlicensed drivers, and drivers who are licensed by an out-of-province jurisdiction and are suspended from driving in Ontario are subject to impoundment.

Similarly, vehicle impoundment will apply to drivers with an ignition interlock condition under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act and its regulations.

All drivers, regardless of licensing jurisdiction or status are subject to impoundment under the new legislation if they are caught driving with a BAC over 80 mg or refuse to comply with a demand made by an officer under the Criminal Code.

Why is the government introducing these new impoundments?

There is a growing problem of suspended drivers who are continuing to drive. Based on a review of Ontario data, it was determined that approximately 2,000 fatal and injury crashes occur each year involving unlicensed drivers (unlicensed being expired, never licensed, or suspended/revoked).

A 2005 U.S. study estimated that as many as three-quarters of suspended and revoked drivers continue to drive. Although they apparently drive less often, they are overrepresented in subsequent violations and are greatly overrepresented in fatal crashes.

Do these 7-day vehicle impoundments create additional revenue for the government?

Vehicle impoundment is an added sanction to the existing penalties. Payments for the associated costs (towing and storage) are not paid to the government.

It is estimated that as many as three-quarters of suspended drivers continue to drive. These drivers are much more likely to be involved in hit and run collisions.

Drivers suspended for reasons other than Criminal Code-related offences are five times more likely to attempt to flee the scene of a crash. Research also shows that drivers suspended for driving-related reasons are about two times more likely to violate driving laws than drivers with non-driving related suspensions.

How do these 7-day vehicle impoundments work?

Once the police officer has established that the vehicle is subject to impoundment the driver will be given an impoundment notice by the officer. The vehicle will then be immediately towed to an impound yard for 7 days. The vehicle owner must pay the towing and storage costs before the vehicle is released.

What is the exact process to get a vehicle out of impound?

These impoundments take place under police authority and they are not reported to MTO. As such, MTO is not involved in the release process. The way in which impounded vehicles will be released may vary among police services. It is important for drivers and vehicle owners to get release information and instructions from the police officer or police service that impounded the motor vehicle..

What are my responsibilities as a vehicle owner?

Even if the driver is not the vehicle owner, the vehicle will be impounded. If the driver is not the vehicle owner, the vehicle owner is notified by police and must pay all towing and storage fees to get their vehicle back at the end of the seven-day impoundment period. The vehicle owner may attempt to recover these costs from the driver through the courts. Our message is clear: if you are going to lend your vehicle to anyone, make sure they have a valid licence.

Call 1-900-565-6555 for an automated service. A cost of $2.50 per check will be charged to your phone bill. Please have the driver’s licence number ready; or
Access MTO’s website. Users may check more than one driver’s licence number at $2.00 per check payable by Mastercard or Visa; or
Obtain a driver’s abstract at MTO’s Driver & Vehicle Licence Issuing Offices or ServiceOntario kiosks. The fee is $12 per abstract.

Both the automated telephone and web service will provide a response of “valid – ignition interlock require” if the driver requires an approved ignition interlock device to legally operate a motor vehicle. A driver’s abstract will also indicate if the driver is subject to an ignition interlock condition for driving.

Why is the impoundment period for 7 days?

Seven days is long enough to remove the immediate danger to other road users posed by these dangerous driving behaviours. In addition, it is sufficient time for the driver to consider the consequences of their actions.

Can drivers appeal these 7-day vehicle impoundments?

Ontario’s three new vehicle impoundment programs are comparatively short in length and therefore do not have an appeals process. This is also the case for Ontario’s seven-day street racing impoundments.

What is the alternate program for commercial vehicles under the new 7-day vehicle impoundments?

Good carriers check the licence status of their drivers regularly. However, if a licence status changes between checks, and the driver is caught, a carrier will face significant financial and operational burdens with a 7-day vehicle impoundment.

To address this concern, the ministry has introduced an alternate program for larger commercial vehicles. Under this program, if the operator of a commercial vehicle is caught driving under an HTA-related suspension, including default of family support, the vehicle will not be subject to a 7-day impoundment if the driver has been suspended for less than 100 days.

This provides a reasonable time for carriers to conduct regular quarterly licence checks on their drivers. All drivers will continue to be subject to existing sanctions (i.e. driving while under licence suspension) regardless of whether the vehicle is impounded.

The alternate program is limited in scope. Commercial vehicles will be subject to the 7-day impoundment under the following circumstances:

The driver’s licence has been suspended for 100 days or more;
The driver has a blood alcohol level over .08; or,
The driver is in violation of an ignition interlock requirement.

Regardless of whether the commercial vehicle is impounded, any driver operating under a licence suspension will not be permitted to continue their trip and will face additional sanctions (i.e. driving while under licence suspension).

Why is there an impound alternative for large commercial vehicles?

Carrier-related impound expenses can be much higher than those incurred by smaller vehicles. Typical towing and impoundment costs for these larger vehicles can run between $1,200 and $1,500. As well, there are logistical challenges and costs associated with sending a new driver and vehicle to complete the trip (only the motor vehicle is impounded, trailers may continue the trip).

There are also potential costs associated with replacing perishable cargo and equipment delayed by impoundment (e.g., livestock, cement mixer drum if concrete hardens), and the prospect of stranding passengers in the case of a bus impoundment.

Ontario’s Vehicle License Plates are Made by its Prisoners

Admin — Thu, 16 May 2013 03:30:18 +0000

Update:

Whether it be regular or personalized, 800 license plates are made an hour by the country’s prisons. Photo by Metro/Jil McIntosh

see source

With more than 1.6 million new vehicles sold every year, Canadians need a lot of license plates to go on them. It’s a full-time job making them, but you wouldn’t want to apply for it in Ontario: they’re made by prison inmates.

“Ontario license plates are manufactured at the Lindsay Correctional Facility,” says Ciaran Ganley, spokesman for the Ministry of Government Services. “Most vehicle license plates appear in pairs, but other motor vehicles have a single license plate, including motorcycle, off-road, moped and trailer.”

Making a plate is a five-step process, starting with the production of blanks, which are plates that don’t yet have their numbers. A laminate sheet is made that includes “Ontario” at the top and a slogan at the bottom, usually “Yours to Discover.”

The laminate is glued onto a coil of aluminum, and a press stamps out individual plates and cuts mounting holes into them. Some 800 are made each hour.

The blanks go to an embossing press, where workers set in the dies to stamp the letters and numbers. Regular plates go quickly, since only one or two numbers must be changed in sequence. Personalized plates slow everything down, since the die has to be completely reset. If a pair of plates is needed, the machine stamps two blanks at once.

To colour the letters and numbers, the plate is fed into a machine that uses heat to apply a foil coating to the raised portion. Finally, the plates are put in plastic bags and visually inspected for quality. Any defective plates are destroyed, while the rest are boxed for distribution.

Ontario plates are colour-coded.

Car, motorcycle and trailer plates use blue letters on a white background. Commercial vehicle, bus and farm plates use black on white; diplomat plates are white on red; dealer plates are red on white; and green plates are for electric vehicles.

“For personalized plates, any combination of letters or numbers may be ordered, provided the combination is available and meets the established criteria,” Ganley says. Off-limits are plates deemed obscene, derogatory, abusive, sexual, religious (except for religious titles), violent, discriminatory, or that describe drugs, alcohol, or criminal activity.

Things to note

• Until 1973, Ontario motorists got new license plates annually, stamped with the year. Renewal stickers were introduced for 1974.
• Most series plates (non-personalized) do not use G, I, O, Q or U, which could cause readability issues for law enforcement purposes.
• Ontario plates can be ordered with the French version of the province’s “Yours to Discover” slogan, “Tant à découvir.”