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Canadian Road Safety News Digest – March 1-31, 2018
April 9, 2018 | Categories: Quick Scan
Last Updated on December 4, 2018
How much cannabis could you smoke and stay under the proposed legal limit for driving? The answer may be zero
March 28, 2018, National Post (OTTAWA, ONTARIO)
Last month, at a city council meeting in Kelowna, B.C., the ranking RCMP officer was giving his quarterly update on policing when a councillor posed a question about marijuana.
“I know that when I go out for the evening, I can have a beer, and I know the alcohol content in that beer,” said Coun. Ryan Donn. “I know that one would be a good limit for myself to have before getting in a car and driving.
5 things about cannabis from Ontario's provincial budget
March 28, 2018, CTV News (TORONTO, ONTARIO)
As the federal government moves to legalize marijuana for recreational users later this year, Ontario’s latest budget sheds light on the province’s approach to sales, distribution, enforcement and revenue expectations.
- The Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation, an LCBO subsidiary created to manage sales and distribution of recreational pot in the province, is not expecting to generate profits immediately after legalization. It is expecting an $8-million loss in 2017-2018, followed by a $40-million loss in 2018-19, largely due to initial startup costs to establish the retail network. By 2019-20, the province is forecasting OCRC net income of $35 million, followed by $100 million in net income by 2020-21.
Province announces rollout of updated impaired driving laws ahead of pot legalization
March 27, 2018, Edmonton Journal (EDMONTON, ALBERTA)
Changes to Alberta’s impaired driving laws that will later include drug limits once cannabis is legalized will take effect April 9, the province announced Tuesday.
The updates to the Traffic Safety Act — including a change that responds to a ruling that indefinite roadside licence suspensions are a Charter of Rights violation — were first proposed in November.
Senate Passes Marijuana Legalization Bill
March 22, 2018, Huffpost (OTTAWA, ONTARIO)
The Senate gave approval in principle Thursday evening to the federal government's bill to legalize recreational marijuana, after a tense few days of manoeuvring by Conservative senators hoping to derail one of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's signature election promises.
Bill C-45 passed at second reading by a vote of 44-29.
Experts: Uber SUV's autonomous system should have seen woman
March 22, 2018, Toronto Metro (TEMPE, ARIZONA)
Two experts say video of a deadly crash involving a self-driving Uber vehicle shows the sport utility vehicle's laser and radar sensors should have spotted a pedestrian, and computers should have braked to avoid the crash.
Authorities investigating the crash in a Phoenix suburb released the video of Uber's Volvo striking a woman as she walked from a darkened area onto a street.
Toyota pauses self-driving car testing amid Uber accident probe
March 20, 2018, CBC News (TORONTO, ONTARIO)
Toyota Motor Corp. said on Tuesday it will pause autonomous vehicle testing following an accident in which an Uber Technologies Inc self-driving vehicle struck and killed a woman in Tempe, Ariz.
Toyota said in a statement "the incident may have an emotional effect on our test drivers. This 'timeout' is meant to give them time to come to a sense of balance about the inherent risks of their jobs."
Consulting Canadians and stakeholders to make the road safer for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers
March 16, 2018, Transport Canada (OTTAWA, ONTARIO)
Keeping all Canadians safe on our roads is a priority for the Government of Canada. We are committed to improving pedestrian and cyclist safety, particularly around heavy vehicles.
That’s why, in September 2016, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, created an intergovernmental task force that has been working on solutions to improve the safety of vulnerable road users.
Coasters Made from Real Car Wrecks Serve Sobering Reminder for St. Patrick's Day
March 16, 2018, Newswire (TORONTO, ONTARIO)
St. Patrick's Day partiers are coming face-to-face with a sobering message this weekend at The Pipes and Taps Pub. In partnership with arrive alive DRIVE SOBER, an organization that aims to save lives by preventing impaired driving, Pipes and Taps will replace their regular coasters with ones made from real car wrecks.
‘Naive approach’ or ‘having an impact’?: Why P.E.I. jails drunk drivers
March 12, 2018, CBC News (CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI)
It's docket day in provincial court in downtown Charlottetown. This is where most people charged with crimes on P.E.I. make their first appearance, and the courtroom is packed.
On one side of the aisle there are a couple of dozen young people. It appears to be a class from high school, here to learn about how the court system works.
Manitoba Municipalities Will Soon Set Their Own Speed Limits
March 10, 2018, Portage Online (PORTAGE, MANITOBA)
Manitoba municipalities may soon have individual control over their own speed limits. Up until now, speed limits were set by the Highway Traffic Board. A new bill before the legislature would grant municipal bodies the ability to raise or lower speed limits, establish crosswalks or enact other pedestrian safety features.
Portage la Prairie Mayor Irvine Ferris spoke about his thoughts on the issue.
City officials welcome provincial funding as cannabis legalization looms
March 10, 2018, CBC News (OTTAWA, ONTARIO)
Ottawa police and city politicians are welcoming the province's announcement of a $40-million transfer to help municipalities with law enforcement and safety costs associated with cannabis legalization — though they are still waiting for details.
The government of Ontario said Friday the money, which will be provided to municipalities upfront, will come from the first two years of federal duties on cannabis producers.
How new safety technology might actually be making our driving worse
March 7, 2018, CTV News (TORONTO, ONTARIO)
By May of this year, all new cars and small trucks sold in Canada will need to be equipped with rear-view cameras. And by 2022, automakers have vowed to make automatic braking standard too. Both are terrific advances for road safety, with plenty of research showing both these technologies reduce crashes and injuries. And to many drivers, these technologies are exciting indications that fully self-driving vehicles are not far off.
The Agenda with Steve Paikin: The Road to Vision Zero
March 6, 2018, TVO (TORONTO, ONTARIO)
As pedestrian deaths rise in Toronto, many are wondering what happened to the city's Vision Zero strategy, implemented last year. This month, Mississauga voted for the strategy, and Hamilton and Kingston city councils are investigating whether it could work for them. Pamela Fuselli of Parachute, an organization dedicated to preventing injury, and Leah Shahum of the Vision Zero Network, join Steve Paikin to discuss how some cities have had success with the plan, and what Ontario can learn from them.
Experts raise concerns about Ottawa’s planned crackdown on drug-impaired drivers
March 4, 2018, The Globe and Mail (OTTAWA, ONTARIO)
Scientists and lawyers are raising a series of concerns over Ottawa's plans to combat drug-impaired driving, saying the proposed regime is not based on evidence and will struggle to withstand legal challenges.
Bill C-46, which would create new drug-impaired driving offences, is currently being studied in the Senate, where there is growing pressure on senators to amend the proposed legislation before it comes into law. The government wants the new rules in place before cannabis is legalized for recreational use, a move expected in late summer.
Pedestrian deaths rising despite Toronto's Vision Zero pledge
March 3, 2018, CBC News (TORONTO, ONTARIO)
The councillor leading Toronto's Vision Zero effort says it's been a tragic year for pedestrians, but suggests bad weather should get more blame than city hall.
Coun. Jaye Robinson, who heads the initiative to eliminate road deaths, says the city is working aggressively on its plans to make streets and school zones safer. However, even the mayor says there is more to do, especially after the death of 11-year-old Duncan Xu, who was struck by a vehicle near his Scarborough school.
MADD Canada urges Senate committee to pass new impaired driving act
March 3, 2018, Global News (TORONTO, ONTARIO)
Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on Thursday.
On Saturday, MADD President and CEO Andy Murie told the Alberta Morning Newsthat the group supported the bill passed by the House of Commons and is encouraging the Senate to follow suit.
Government, ICBC and police introduce new measures to combat distracted driving this month
March 2, 2018, ICBC (VANCOUVER, BC)
Tougher penalties for distracted drivers take effect this month, alongside the piloting of new technologies, in support of B.C.'s latest enforcement and awareness campaign against this high-risk driving behaviour. Enhanced police enforcement on distracted driving will also take place across B.C., including a province-wide blitz today.
Canadian Events & Conferences in 2018
Highway Safety Research Centre – Free Course on Road Safety Fundamentals
Online
March 8 – April 26, 2018
CCMTA 2018 Annual Meeting
Quebec City, QC
June 3-6, 2018
CARSP Conference 2018
Victoria, BC
June 10-13, 2018
The 10th International ACM Conference on Automotive User Interfaces and Interactive Vehicular Applications
Toronto, Ontario
September 23-25, 2018