2021-01-13

Local law enforcement looks forward to modernized road rules

by KEITH CORCORAN

The Bridgewater Police Service was pleased to respond to the province's call for comment on new traffic regulations given the agency's opinion that current Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) legislation needs modernization.

"Mobile phone use, electric vehicles and bicycles, scooters, skateboards, and internet and, local business purchases of vehicle accessories were not common in 1989 when the [MVA] was written, and had to be included in amendments after issues arose," Danny MacPhee, Bridgewater's deputy police chief, told LighthouseNOW in an email.

The municipal police force provided opinions and comments pertaining to the proposed Traffic Safety Act regulations governing how motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and those operating other types of transportation use the road. The public had until January 8 to comment on the latest draft.

MacPhee didn't have a list of concerns of concerns passed along by his agency, but said "specifically we lobbied years ago that the act had to be updated to match the needs of the day."

"At that stage we gave the examples of outdated sections and clauses. By the time the Traffic Safety Act was being prepared most if not all of our issues were being addressed or had been raised in that forum."

Some motorists have expressed concern about seeing pets in front seats of moving vehicles. MacPhee said that's not a new issue. There is a section of the Motor Vehicle Act that states anything that can obstruct or distract the attention of the driver is an offence. "The issue there is that the only obstructions that are clearly defined are ornament, decoration and novelty," MacPhee said. "Typically if the dog was distracting it would lead to other clear offences such as following to close, left of centre" or other things.

The new Traffic Safety Act, passed in 2018, and regulations take effect after the public review phase and once upgrades to the Registry of Motor Vehicles computer system are completed, the province's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal reported in a statement.

"Initially we asked for clarification and updates to reflect the realities of traffic safety today as the Motor Vehicle Act was becoming more and more dated," MacPhee said.

E-scooter use draft regulations are under development, and will be addressed in another public consultation, the province said.

"Any time a federal or provincial act is updated to current standards, it helps police fulfill their duties," MacPhee added. "We hope more provincial acts follow suit."

To learn more, check out https://novascotia.ca/traffic-safety-act-public-engagement/ on the internet.

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