Traffic Safety Act receives Assent in the Yukon Legislative Assembly

Yesterday, the Traffic Safety Act received Assent in the Yukon Legislative Assembly.  The new legislation will replace the outdated Motor Vehicles Act, which was drafted in 1977, with a modern, forward-thinking approach to safety on the Yukon’s highways. Developed with feedback from Yukoners at the forefront, this much-needed legislation paves the way for the Government of Yukon to address major concerns like road-user safety and dangerous driving.

This Act sets a framework to improve road safety in the Yukon by targeting dangerous and impaired driving, with the goal of reducing injuries and fatalities. It includes stricter fines and penalties, with escalating consequences for repeat offenders to discourage reckless behavior. The Act extends not only to drivers of motorized vehicles but also to pedestrians and cyclists, introducing new measures to protect these vulnerable road users.

While the full Traffic Safety Act will not take effect immediately, two important regulations will come into force in 2025:

• penalties for unsafe driving; and
• authority for municipalities to create traffic safety bylaws.

These changes will introduce higher fines for certain offences, helping to deter poor driving behaviour and provide stronger consequences for repeat offenders of certain, more serious offences. Municipalities will also have more authority to govern traffic safety issues on local roads without waiting for the entire Act to be in force.

The Traffic Safety Act requires several accompanying regulations, which will include the detailed rules needed for the Act to come into force. The Government of Yukon is working to develop the remaining regulations as quickly as possible, after which the full Act will come into force.

The Fuel Oil Tax Act is also being amended to enable the Yukon to eventually enter into the International Fuel Tax Agreement. Joining the agreement will simplify fuel tax reporting for the trucking industry.

The Government of Yukon began full-time work on replacement legislation for the outdated Motor Vehicles Act in 2018. Since that time, the project team has conducted a large-scale public engagement, as well as several smaller stakeholder engagements, and examined over 400 policy issues raised by the public and stakeholders. This collaborative approach to drafting a very complex piece of legislation has resulted in traffic safety laws that will work for Yukoners for years to come.