Yes, if you are under the age of 18 you are required by law to wear an approved bicycle helmet when travelling on any public road. Cyclists over 18 are encouraged to wear helmets for their own safety, but are not required to by law.

Research shows that helmets can be extremely effective in preventing head injuries. About three-quarters of all cycling fatalities involve head injuries. The Ontario government is committed to promoting cycling safety.

The fine is $60. With court costs of $5 and the victim fine surcharge of $10, the total is $75 for a plea of guilty.

Consumers should look for a helmet that fits comfortably and meets safety standards. Check the inside of the helmet for stickers from one or more of the following organizations:

Anyone operating an electric bicycle must wear an approved bicycle helmet at all times.Effective October 3, 2006, power-assisted bicycles (commonly known as electric bicycles or e-bikes) will be able to travel on Ontario roads as a bicycle. The pilot project is opened to all Ontarians 16 years of age and older and will run for three years. For the duration of the pilot, electric bicycles will be treated as bicycles and must follow the same rules of the road set out in the Highway Traffic Act. E-cyclists need to remember there are two exceptions:

Always follow the vehicle owner's manual and the child car seat manufacturer's instructions for correct installation and use of the child safety seat.

Note: Booster seats are installed differently to child safety seats. The lap and shoulder belt combination secures both the child and the booster seat in the vehicle.

Everyone including parents, grandparents, relatives or friends, who drives with a child under the age of 8 who weighs less than 36 kg (80 lb.) and stands less than 145 cm (4 ft. 9 in.) tall is required to ensure the child is properly secured in the appropriate child safety seat or booster seat based on his/her height and weight.

Research shows motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of injury and death for children and youth. Statistics Canada states that non-parental care is provided to about 40 per cent of all children less than five years of age. Properly used child safety seats and booster seats can significantly reduce the chance of children being hurt and/or killed in collisions. That is why it is so important to make sure children are protected on every trip.

Infants weighing under 9 kg (20 lb.) are to travel properly secured in a rearward-facing child safety seat that meets the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS).

Toddlers weighing 9 to 18 kg (20 to 40 lbs.) are to travel properly secured in a forward-facing child safety seat that complies with CMVSS and must be anchored to the vehicle using the tether strap (usually found on the back of the car seat).

Children under the age of eight, who weigh 18 kg or more but less than 36 kg (40-80 lbs.), and who stand less than 145 cm (57 ins. or 4 ft. 9 ins.) must travel in a booster seat that meets the CMVSS. This requirement became law September 1, 2005.

A child can start using a seatbelt alone once any one of the following criteria is met:

As a guide, a seat belt may only be used if a child is able to sit with legs bent comfortably over the vehicle seat and with his or her back fully against the back of the vehicle seat. The shoulder belt must lie flat across the child's shoulder and chest, and should not cross over the child's neck. The lap portion of the belt should be positioned low over the hips, not the abdomen.

Drivers who fail to secure or who improperly secure children may be charged and, upon conviction, will be fined $110.00 and have two demerit points applied to their driving record.

Yes. A properly used child safety seat or booster seat can reduce the likelihood of death or serious injury by as much as 75 per cent.

If the child is wearing a lap belt only, the belt may ride up on the child's abdomen, particularly if the child slides forward on the seat because his/her legs are not long enough to reach over the front of the seat. This can cause internal injuries in a crash (seat belt syndrome). The lap/shoulder belt may not fit the child properly, coming across the child's face and neck. Many children will want to put the shoulder belt behind their back in this case, but this reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of the belt. Young children can slide under the lap belt, eliminating the belt's effectiveness, and possibly resulting in them being ejected from the vehicle in a crash.

The Ministry does not recommend particular brands of child car seats. All child safety seats manufactured for sale in Canada must have a Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) label or statement of compliance on the seat. Child car seats without this label or compliance statement do not meet CMVSS requirements. Car seats made for the U.S. market have different compliance requirements.

Yes. The following are exempt:

• The driver of a taxicab, bus or public vehicle, while transporting a passenger for hire.
• The driver of a motor vehicle that is leased for less than 60 days or is registered in another jurisdiction.
• The driver of an ambulance as defined in section 61 of the Act.
• Drivers of vehicles without seatbelts.
• Drivers of vehicles equipped with lap belts only are exempt from using booster seats.
• Drivers of public vehicles with a seating capacity of 10 or more persons that are operated by or under contract with a school board or other authority in charge of a school for the transportation of children are also exempt.

Remember, it is the law that the driver and passengers travelling in a motor vehicle must wear a seat belt or be in the appropriate child car seat. You must limit the number of occupants in your vehicle to the number of seat belts --- one person, one seat belt.

Yes, absolutely. They must be well maintained at all times. In fact, you can be fined for having a broken seat belt even if it is not being used or required at the time you are stopped by a police officer.

This is a definite NO! The seat belt is made for one person only. If more than one person is buckled up in a seat belt, the bodies can be crushed and the heads banged together, and the heavier body can seriously injure the lighter one. People may even be ejected from the vehicle.

You must wear a seat belt and, in fact, you could be fined for not buckling up. It is the taxi owner's responsibility to ensure that the seat belt is available and in good working order. The law does not require the taxi owner to provide a child safety seat so it is advisable to travel with your own child car seat.

Yield to Bus is a new provincial law designed to improve transit flow and make transit service more reliable and efficient. The new law requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to buses leaving bus bays to merge with the traffic.

It is very difficult to keep a bus on schedule when other drivers don't let the bus back into the travel lane. The new law makes it easier for buses to merge back into traffic and helps to keep buses on schedule. This law improves transit service reliability, especially during rush hours.

The Yield to Bus legislation was introduced by the Province to help improve transit flow in urban areas. It was requested by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA), and a number of individual municipal transit systems.

No. A number of transit systems (TTC, OC Transpo, Mississauga Transit, etc.) had voluntary programs whereby drivers were encouraged to let the bus back in as a courtesy. The new law makes it mandatory.

  Section 142.1 of the HTA is in effect as of January 2, 2004.

The requirement to yield to buses leaving bus bays is provincial legislation, contained in Section 142.1 of the Highway Traffic Act (HTA).

The new law applies to every municipality in Ontario that has transit service with the Yield to Bus sign on the rear of their buses.

Yes. Yield to Bus legislation has been implemented in a number of jurisdictions in North America. In Canada, it has been the law in Quebec since 1982 and in BC since 1999. In the USA it has been implemented in a number of states including Washington State (since 1993), Oregon (since 1998) and Florida (since 1999).

The new law applies to municipal transit and to GO Transit buses displaying this sign on the rear, above the left turn signal.