New offences, fines for driving on closed roads to take effect in Manitoba
Manitobans will soon face new offences and fines for driving on closed roads.
Beginning on Saturday, the province’s amendments to the Highway Traffic Act under Bill 46 will take effect. This means for Manitobans, it is now an offence to drive on a closed road and those caught doing it will face new fines. These fines include:
- $298 for driving a light vehicle, such as a car, SUV or pick-up truck, on a closed road;
- $672 for directing a person, such as an employee, to drive a light vehicle on a closed road;
- $672 for driving a heavy vehicle, including trucks and buses, on a closed road; and
- $1,296 for directing a person to drive a heavy vehicle on a closed road.
Manitobans convicted of driving on a closed road will be penalized two demerit points.
In serious cases, law enforcement also has the choice of sending drivers to court, where they can be fined up to $2,000 for offences involving light vehicles and up to $5,000 for incidents involving heavy vehicles.
According to Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk, the RCMP says that drivers ignore road closure signs and barricades and continue to drive on closed roads.
“This puts motorists, law enforcement, emergency responders, operators of snow-clearing equipment and road maintenance staff in danger,” he said in a news release.
“That is why our government has enacted an amendment to the Highway Traffic Act to make it an offence to drive on closed roads.”
Other provinces, including British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan have also made it an offence to drive on a closed road.
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