After several years of lobbying the Ontario government, a grieving widow sadly celebrates the latest amendment to the Highway Traffic Act. Under this new traffic law drivers caught with suspended licences face harsher penalties, including immediate vehicle impoundment for seven days.

Passed in 2009, `Greg’s Law’ is in full effect and driving with a suspended licence in Ontario now carries more risk. Among the amendments, repeat offenders face fines of up to $50,000. The new law also gives police the legal right to seize offenders’ vehicles on the side of the road, and impound them for seven days. (Source: CBC News)

Earlier this month the Globe and Mail reported the bittersweet victory of Eleanor McMahon, wife of deceased Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Greg Stobbart. It was four years ago when her husband was swiped by a dump truck while cycling up a hill in Milton, Ontario. He was off-duty at the time and died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

The driver had five convictions of driving with a suspended licence and had a long list of traffic violations, including one for an accident he was involved in just two months prior. Greg’s Law cuts through the red tape and allows police to immediately impound the vehicles of suspended drivers caught on the road.

From the Globe and Mail:

It takes a public citizen who is dogged and tireless to turn legislation into law, and Ms. McMahon is all those things. She lost a good man not long after finding him, and that would break anyone. But she put herself back together, and now fights to make our roads safer. Society owes a debt to everyone like her who has turned sorrow into action, however small the steps may seem.

And she is not finished. In addition to her advocacy work for bike safety, she is now lobbying for two new pieces of legislation: one requiring drivers to give cyclists a one-metre berth when passing, another that will require paved shoulders.

Proponents for Greg’s Law laud this as a positive move towards safer roads and more legislation created by the public. Critics suggest further amendments to include lesser penalties for those who can prove they were unaware their licence was suspended at the time.

From everyone here at Legal Action, we hope you had a very happy and safe holiday!