New traffic laws for distracted driving are in place now, right before the Labour Day long weekend.

Penalties will be higher if you get caught distracted driving, especially for young drivers.

Here’s a summary of the updated penalties:

If you have an A, B, C, D, E, F and/or G licence, you’ll face bigger penalties when convicted of distracted driving:

•     a fine of $490, if settled out of court (includes a victim surcharge and the court fee)
•     a fine of up to $1,000 if a summons is received or if you fight the ticket in court and lose three demerit points

Novice drivers

If you hold a G1, G2, M1 or M2 licence, and are convicted of distracted driving, you’ll face the same fines as drivers with A to G licences. But you won’t receive any demerit points.

Instead of demerit points you’ll face:

•     a 30-day licence suspension for a first conviction
•     a 90-day licence suspension for a second conviction
•     cancellation of your licence and removal from the Graduated Licensing System (GLS) for a third conviction to get your licence back you’d have to redo the GLS program

Moral of the story is, be mindful of all drivers on the road – keep your phone down and limit distractions!