The Yukon government has decided to increase fines for unsafe driving behaviour, starting July 1, according to a press release.
Red light violations, failing to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk and passing in a playground or school zone are among the motor vehicle offences that will see fines go up.
Drivers caught speeding and racing can also expect heftier fines.
By doing so, Yukon Highways and Public Works Minister Nils Clarke said in the release, the territorial government is sending a message that dangerous driving won’t be tolerated in the territory.
In August 2024, Clarke was seriously injured in a highway crash that killed his work colleague and deputy minister Michael Prochazka. RCMP charged the driver with Criminal Code charges related to dangerous driving as well as Yukon Motor Vehicle Act charges of careless driving and driving at an unreasonable speed. Laura Seeley in cabinet communications said the minister’s personal experience didn’t — and wouldn’t, in any case — factor into decision making on this matter. The changes have been in the works for a while, Seeley said.
As for the why: “One of the best ways to deter dangerous driving behaviour is with immediate consequences,” reads a Yukon government fact sheet about the amendments.
“For years, the fines for dangerous driving in the Yukon have remained unchanged and no longer reflect the seriousness of the risk.”
For example, the fine for passing in a school zone spiked from $125 to $600.
Additionally, the new regulations will allow municipalities to create traffic laws that respond to their local needs, per the release.
The release suggests the changes respond to concerns raised about dangerous driving.
The announcement via press release comes the day after a memorial bike ride for Joe Morrison, who was struck and killed in a hit-and-run incident near Rabbit’s Foot Canyon along the Alaska Highway on June 13, 2024. The driver who hit Morrison plead guilty to charges related to the crash, including driving while prohibited, dangerous driving causing death and failing to remain at the scene of a fatal crash.
Changes to the regulations were signed off by the Yukon’s commissioner on April 24, according to an order in council.
The new, full Traffic Safety Act, which legislators passed in the Yukon Legislative Assembly in fall 2024, comes into force later.
Kalah Klassen, who works in communications for the highways department, said the increased fines are the first phase of bringing the act into effect. Eleven regulations need to be developed and that work is underway, she said.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
