The Highway Traffic Act (HTA; "the Act") is a statute in Ontario, Canada, which regulates the licensing of vehicles, classification of traffic offences, administration of loads, classification of vehicles and other transport-related issues. First introduced in 1923 to deal with increasing accidents during the early years of motoring in Ontario,^[1] and replacing earlier legislation such as the Highway Travel Act, there have been amendments due to changes to driving conditions and new transportation trends. For example, in 2009, the Act was revised to ban the use of cell phones while driving.

Offences under the Highway Traffic Act are the most commonly tried in Provincial Offences court.^[2] Over 1.3 million offences are tried each year under the Act, with the most common charges being speeding (559,013 occurrences, s. 128 - Speeding), running a red light (127,836 occurrences, s. 144 - Red light - proceed before green), driving whilst disqualified (117,470 counts, s. 7 - Drive motor vehicle, no currently validated permit), fail to stop (51,263 counts, s. 136 - Disobey stop sign - fail to stop) and telephoning whilst driving (51,210 counts, s. 78.1 - Drive - hand-held communication device).

Sections

Section 1 of the Act covers definitions and application of the Act to places other than highways. The definition of "highway" in the Act is broad in nature to include "a common and public highway, street, avenue, parkway, driveway, square, place, bridge, viaduct or trestle, any part of which is intended for or used by the general public for the passage of vehicles and includes the area between the lateral property lines thereof".

Part I: Administration

Part I covers the following items in sections 2 to 5 of the Act:

• Powers and duties of the Ministry of Transportation
• Registrar of Motor Vehicles
• Deputy Registrar
• Forms
• Power to do things electronically
• Regulations re fees
• Administrative monetary penalties
• Cancellation of permit, license where false information is provided
• Cancellation of the permit, license where information on permit, the license is incorrect
• Protection from personal liability

Part II: Permits

Part II covers the following items in sections 6 to 23 of the Act:

Part III: Parking Permits

Part III covers the following items in sections 26 to 30 of the Act:

• Accessible parking permits
• Offence, accessible parking permit
• Inspection, accessible parking permit
• Regulations, accessible parking permits

Part IV: Licences

Part IV covers the following items in sections 31 to 58 of the Act:

Part V: Garage and Storage Licences

Part V covers the following items in sections 59 to 60:

• Licence respecting dealing in motor vehicles, etc.
• Second-hand vehicles, offences

Part VI: Equipment

Part VI covers the following items in sections 61 to 107 of the Act:

Part VII: Load and Dimensions

Part VII covers the following items in sections 108 to 113 of the Act:

• Vehicle dimensions
• Permits to exceed dimension and weight limits (use of highway)
• Special permits to exceed dimension and weight limits
• Carrying and production of a special permit
• Suspension, etc., of a special permit
• Additional power of Registrar to suspend, etc., special permits
• Loading vehicles
• Regulations, carriage of explosives, etc.
• Farm vehicles

Part VIII: Weight

Part VIII covers the following items in sections 114 to 127 of the Act:

• Restrictions as to weight on tires
• Maximum allowable axle unit weights
• Maximum allowable axle group weights
• Maximum allowable gross vehicle weights
• Raw forest products allowance during freeze-up
• Prohibition re operation on Class B Highway
• Operating within permitted weight
• Reduced load periods
• Weight on bridges
• Power of officer to have vehicle weighed, examined
• Offence and penalty
• Overloading by consignor
• Regulations, weight standards

Part IX: Rate of Speed

Part IX covers the following items in sections 128 to 132 of the Act:

• Rate of speed
• Status quo maintained
• Conversion of the rate of speed set out in by-laws
• Careless driving
• Territory without municipal organization
• Unnecessary slow driving prohibited

Part X: Rules of the Road

Part X covers the following items in sections 133 to 191 of the Act:

Part X.1: Toll Highways

Part X.1 covers the following items in section 191 of the Act:

• Toll device required
• Evasion, etc., of the electronic toll system
• Regulations, toll devices

Part X.2: Medical Transportation Services

Part X.2 covers the following items in section 191 of the Act:

• Medical transportation services
• Regulations, medical transportation services

Part X.3: Off-Road Vehicles

Part X.3 covers the following item in section 191 of the Act:

• Off-road vehicles on highways regulated by regulations, by-laws

Part XI: Civil Proceedings

Part XI covers the following items in sections 191 to 193 of the Act:

• Liability for loss or damage
• Onus of disproving negligence

Part XII: Municipal By-Laws

Part XII covers the following item in section 195 of the Act:

• Effect of by-laws7(1)(b)

Part XIII: Suspension for Failure to Pay Judgements or Meet Support Obligations

Part XIII covers the following items in sections 196 to 198 of the Act:

• Licence suspended for failure to pay a judgement
• Licence suspension on the direction of Director of Family Responsibility Office
• Personal information
• Protection from personal liability

Part XIV: Records and Reporting of Accidents and Convictions

Part XIV covers the following items in sections 199 to 205 of the Act:

• Duty to report an accident
• Irreparable vehicles, etc.
• Duty of person in charge of a vehicle in case of an accident
• Notification of damage to trees, fences, etc.
• Reporting by various officials
• Report of a medical practitioner
• Report of an optometrist
• Duties of Registrar
• Collection and disclosure of information

Part XIV.1: Photo-Radar System Evidence

Part XIV.1 covers the following items in section 205 of the Act:

Part XIV.2: Red Light Camera System Evidence

Part XIV.2 covers the following items in section 205 of the Act:

• Red light camera system evidence
• Application, proceedings commenced by filing a certificate of offence
• Provincial Offences Act, Part I
• Evidence of ownership
• Deemed not to dispute a charge
• Challenge to officer's evidence
• Certificate evidence
• Failure to appear at trial
• Re-openings
• Limitations on penalty
• Regulations, red light camera system evidence

Part XV: Procedure, Arrests and Penalties

Part XV covers the following items in sections 207 to 227 of the Act:

Part XVI: Pilot Projects

Part XVI covers the following items in section 228 and Schedule of the Act:

• Pilot projects
• Certificate of justice