The Ontario government plans to introduce new measures to crack down on dangerous drivers in the provincial legislation on Tuesday.
The measures include a lifetime license suspension for anyone convicted of dangerous driving causing death.
Many of the measures were called for in a petition called "Andrew's Law" in memory of Andrew Cristillo, who died when his vehicle was struck by another driven by a man who was already facing dangerous driving and stunt driving charges. His wife and three children were also injured in the crash on August 3 in Whitchurch-Stouffville.
The 18-year-old driver had been charged after colliding with an Ontario Provincial Police cruiser, in which Premier Doug Ford was a passenger, in Pickering last January. Ford and members of his detail were not injured.
"No family should ever face the heartbreak of losing a loved one or the trauma of a life-changing injury because of a dangerous and careless driver," said Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sakaria. "These proposed changes will deter reckless behaviour, hold offenders accountable, and make our roads and highways safer."
The bill would also introduce roadside license suspensions for those suspected of dangerous driving and increase fines. For a first offence, the driver could see their vehicle impounded for two weeks and be fined between $2,000 and $10,000. The fine for a second offence is as much as $15,000, and for a third offence, up to $20,000, with the vehicle being impounded for up to 60 days. The fines are more than double the current ones.
"Andrew Cristillo's death is a heartbreaking reminder of the devastation reckless and impaired driving can have," said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. "That is why, through these proposed measures, our government is taking action to ensure police have the tools they need to crack down on dangerous driving so we can prevent future tragedies."
Commercial drivers could be fined up to $1,000 for speed limiter offences, including driving a commercial vehicle without a functioning speed limiter.
According to the government, a driver convicted of dangerous driving within the past five years is three-and-a-half times more likely to cause a serious collision than a driver with a clean record.
Previously, the Ford government introduced changes that would force convicted impaired drivers to pay child support if they killed a child's parent or guardian in a crash.
The petition launched by the Cristillo family was signed by more than 37,000 people in Ontario.
"My brother died because a dangerous driver was allowed to keep driving," said Jordan Cristillo, Andrew's brother. "Andrew deserved better, and families deserve real protection."
