Greg’s Law, named for Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Greg Stobbart, who was tragically killed while riding his bike training for a triathalon, passed third reading in the Ontario Legislature in April. The bill targets suspended drivers and will introduce stricter sentencing, including a seven-day vehicle impoundment.
Since Greg’s death in 2006, his widow, Eleanor McMahon, has advocated strenuously for road safety. Eleanor, the founder of Share The Road Cycling Coalition, a provincial advocacy organization, says: “Driving is a privilege, and not a right. Our hope is that holding unlicensed drivers to account by impounding their vehicles will be a powerful deterrent.”
The driver who hit and killed Greg had a history of traffic-related infractions. His license had been suspended some time before the accident. But, with reckless disregard for the law, he continued to drive.
Unlicensed drivers who cause accidents are not insured. This leaves their victims and their victims’ families to pay the heavy medical and social costs of the devastation they cause.
Bill 126 has one more gate to pass before becoming law. It now goes to the lieutenant governor of Ontario for royal assent, after which it becomes an enforceable law.
Many thanks Eleanor, for helping to make the roads safer for all of us.
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