Today, Minister of Highways and Public Works Nils Clarke tabled Bill 44, the Traffic Safety Act, in the Yukon Legislative Assembly. This proposed legislation would replace the outdated Motor Vehicles Act with a modern, forward-thinking approach to traffic safety on the Yukon’s highways.
This proposed legislation is designed to make Yukon highways safer by targeting dangerous and impaired driving with the goal of reducing injuries and fatalities. The Act includes key provisions including higher fines, tougher penalties and escalating consequences for repeat offenders. The proposed legislation, if passed, would primarily apply to drivers and motorized vehicles but will also include pedestrians and cyclists, with new rules designed to enhance traffic safety for these vulnerable users.
Through an extensive engagement process the proposed legislation was shaped by feedback and input from Yukoners including the public, all levels of government and stakeholders. This crucial legislation will enhance traffic safety and set the stage to tackle significant issues such as high risk and dangerous driving. The new Act’s structure offers greater flexibility to adapt to society’s changing needs and challenges posed by new technologies, ensuring the Yukon’s roads remain safe for everyone.
A technical briefing for media on this legislation will be held on Friday, October 4, 2024.
This legislation, developed in response to feedback from Yukoners, is exactly what our territory needs to effectively govern traffic safety on our highways. During the extensive engagement process for this Bill, our government heard Yukoners’ concerns on many subjects, including impaired driving, fees and fines, traffic safety and enforcement. We have addressed these concerns through this legislation, paving the way for safer Yukon highways now and into the future.
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Bill No. 44, the Traffic Safety Act, is intended to replace the Motor Vehicles Act.
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The Yukon’s current Motor Vehicles Act was drafted in 1977 and has been subject to numerous amendments over the past 47 years.
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If this legislation is passed, it will not come into force in its entirety immediately, as there are several regulations that must be completed for the Act to function properly.
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However, in the interest of traffic safety, the government will bring two important pieces into force ahead of the rest of the Act.
- Municipal bylaw-making authorities.
- Unsafe driving penalties.
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This means that portions of the Act and their associated regulations would come into force in 2025.
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Bill 44 also proposes an amendment to the Fuel Oil Tax Act that will allow the Yukon to eventually enter into the International Fuel Tax Agreement. Joining the agreement would reduce red tape for the trucking industry by decreasing paperwork and the compliance burden for fuel tax reporting.
Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
[email protected]
Kalah Klassen
Communications, Highways and Public Works
867-332-3595
[email protected]