Ministry of Transportation - New Traffic Rules for 2018

Beginning on January 1, 2018, the following changes to the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) came into force.

For the future toll Highway 418 which joins the 407 to the 401 between Oshawa and Bowmanville, these include:
• Drivers with a G1 licence will be restricted from driving on the new highway
• Bicycles, wheelchairs, and limited speed motorcycles will be restricted
• Only emergency parking will be allowed.
• Pedestrian will not be allowed to use the new highway except in emergencies.
• Proper Transponders will be required in all vehicles over five tonnes (5.5 tons)
• Off-road Quads and Dirt Bikes will be prohibited
• Snow Machines will be prohibited
• Large farm vehicles will be prohibited
• Slow-moving vehicles (including bicycles) will be prohibited
• Horse-drawn vehicles and horses will be prohibited

As part of the Off-Road Vehicles Act:
Off-road vehicles are prohibited from crossing the future Highway 418. Off-road vehicles include any vehicle capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surfaces, such as:
• Dune buggies
• Side-by-side vehicles
• All-terrain vehicles
• Motorcycles (dirt bikes) designed for off-road use

New added changes under the Highway Traffic Act include:
• New speed limits on the extended Highway 407 when it opens in early 2018 and for the future Highway 418
• You will still be able to use hand-held two-way radios, while driving, for another three years until Jan 1 2021 (as an exemption to Ontario’s distracted driving laws).
• Removing reference to the outdated Canadian Standards Association for daytime running lights. (Note that running lights are still required, but the specific reference to the old specification has been removed.)