On July 1, 2025, Canada implemented a nationwide road safety update under the New Canada Driving Law 2025. This legislation aims to update safety standards through enhanced enforcement and creating steeper penalties.
Key Changes:
New Canada Driving Law 2025
Change Category | Old Regulation | New Regulation (Effective July 2025) |
School Zone Speed | Province-specific, time-based enforcement | 30 km/h enforced 24/7 nationwide |
Distracted Driving Fine | $250–$400 | Starts at $600, higher for repeat offenses |
Impaired Driving BAC Limit | 0.08 | Lowered to 0.05 BAC nationwide |
Pedestrian Zone Oversight | Controlled by municipalities | Expanded federal designation in high-risk areas |
ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) in Vehicles | Optional | Mandatory in all new vehicles from July 2025 |
Commercial Drivers | Optional | Use of Electronic Logging Devices and real-time GPS tracking with updated Hours of Service rules |
The majority of changes above are clear. However, the mandatory use of ADAS seeks to have all new vehicles include the following systems:
- Lane-keeping assistance
- Automatic emergency braking
- Adaptive cruise control
The Canadian Government is also including the use of AI for speed cameras.
A couple of additional points to consider:
- Use of smart glasses or smart watches while driving is considered distracted driving and fines will start at $600
- Current vehicles will not be required to have the ADAS system but the government intends to offer incentives to encourage ADAS adoption in older models.
If you have been involved in a collision, we encourage you to contact us for a free consultation at 1 (844) DIAL JRJ.