Summary#
Bill 79, Chad’s Law (Enforcing Safer Passing), 2025, would amend Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act. It would ban passing another vehicle going in the same direction when doing so requires crossing double solid yellow lines, and make a contravention an offence. The title frames the goal as enforcing safer passing.
- Drivers who break the ban would, on conviction, face a $400 fine and three or more demerit points.
- The bill does not create a new agency or a new traffic program; it adds a prohibition and offence to an existing Act.
- The bill would come into force on Royal Assent.
What it means for you#
- Drivers: You would be prohibited from passing another vehicle travelling in the same direction if the pass required crossing double solid yellow lines painted on the roadway.
- Drivers convicted of an offence: You would be liable to a $400 fine and at least three demerit points.
- Other road users: The bill does not directly change your rights or create a new service for you.
- Current law: The Highway Traffic Act is not supplied, so I could not verify how this ban or related penalties compare with current law.
Money#
No cost information is in the available material.
- The bill sets a $400 fine on conviction. No estimate is given for how many fines might be imposed or how much revenue they might raise.
- Enforcement and administration costs are not stated.
What is unclear#
- No publicly available information is provided about whether the bill has received Royal Assent.
- The current Highway Traffic Act was not supplied, so the existing rules and any overlap with this offence could not be checked.
- The bill does not list exceptions to the new prohibition.
- The bill does not explain how the offence would be enforced or how the number of demerit points would be set above the minimum of three.
Case for#
- A possible argument for the bill is that it sets a clear legal limit on passing where doing so requires crossing double solid yellow lines.
- The offence and demerit points give the prohibition consequences beyond a warning.
- A rule tied to visible road markings may help drivers understand where this kind of passing is prohibited.
Case against#
- The bill does not provide exceptions to the prohibition, so it is unclear whether unusual circumstances would be treated differently.
- The bill sets a $400 fine and at least three demerit points but does not explain why those penalties were chosen.
- Without the current Act, it is unclear how much the bill would change existing rules or penalties.