EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill makes it mandatory to have three-point seat belts on forward-facing seats on school buses.

Bill 71 2021

An Act to amend the Highway Traffic Act in respect of seat belts on school buses

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

1 (1)  Subsection 106 (1) of the Highway Traffic Act is amended by striking out “required under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Canada) at the time that the vehicle was manufactured or imported into Canada” and substituting “that at the time that the vehicle was manufactured or imported into Canada was required under this section or under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Canada)”.

(2)  Section 106 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsections:

School buses

(7.1)  A school bus, as defined in subsection 175 (1), must be equipped in accordance with the requirements set out in subsection 208 (5) of Schedule IV to the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations (Canada) for buses other than school, transit, perimeter-seating and prison buses.

Transition

(7.2)  During the period ending on December 31, 2026, subsection (7.1) does not apply to school buses that were manufactured before September 1, 2022, unless,

  (a)  the school bus is used to transport children, as defined in subsection 175 (1), such that any one child remains on the bus for longer than 45 minutes; or

  (b)  the school bus is used to transport children, as defined in subsection 175 (1), on,

         (i)  those parts of the King’s Highway known as Nos. 400, 400A, 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 409, 410, 412, 416, 417, 418, 420 and 427 with posted speed limits greater than 80 kilometres per hour,

        (ii)  all of the King’s Highway known as Highway 407 East,

        (iii)  all of the private toll highway known as Highway 407,

       (iv)  all of the King’s Highway known as the Queen Elizabeth Way,

        (v)  those parts of the highway known as the Don Valley Parkway, the Gardiner Expressway and the E. C. Row Expressway, or

       (vi)  that part of the King’s Highway known as the Conestoga Parkway from its westerly limit at its intersection with the King’s Highway known as Nos. 7 and 8 to its northerly limit at its intersection with the King’s Highway known as No. 86.

(3)  Subsection 106 (7.2) of the Act, as enacted by subsection (2), is repealed.

Commencement

2 (1)  Subject to subsection (2), this Act comes into force on September 1, 2022.

(2)  Subsection 1 (3) comes into force on January 1, 2028.

Short title

3 The short title of this Act is the Keeping Students Safe on School Buses Act (Highway Traffic Amendment), 2021.