Behaviours

What the Law Says

Obeying the Highway Safety Code is essential for harmonious road sharing.

Duty of Care

All road users have a duty, especially toward more vulnerable users, to be careful and considerate when travelling on a public road.

Drivers of road vehicles have a duty to show extra care toward more vulnerable users, such as people with reduced mobility, pedestrians and cyclists.

Vulnerable users, for their part, have a duty to adopt behaviours that enhance their own safety.

Obeying the Highway Safety Code

Obeying the Highway Safety Code is essential for harmonious road sharing.

Basic rules

  • Obey traffic signs and signals, such as traffic lights, mandatory stops, speed limits and the obligation to yield the right of way.
  • Respect other road users' right of way, for example at pedestrian crossings and intersections.
  • Signal your intentions with your turn signal light, or with a hand signal if you are cycling.
  • Do not tailgate other vehicles.
  • When passing pedestrians and cyclists in a vehicle, be sure to leave enough space between you and them:
    • 1 m in zones of 50 km/h or less;
    • 1.5 m in zones over 50 km/h.

Penalties and fines

If you fail to obey the rules, you are liable to:

  • a fine (the amount varies depending on the offence)
  • demerit points (the number varies depending on the offence)

Last update: June  3, 2022