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Pa ge 4 T hu rs da y, S ep te m be r 3 , 2 01 5 - T he IF P - H al to n H ill s - w w w .th ei fp .c a Drivers will face stiffer fines and penalties for breaking the rules of the road. The Making Ontario Roads Safer Act has been amended to include five new rules, three of which came into effect Tuesday. The "move-over" law, which requires drivers to slow down and proceed with caution when ap- proaching an emergency vehicle parked on the side of the highway with its lights on, will now require drivers to do the same when ap- proaching tow trucks responding to an emergency situation with their flashing amber lights on. Failure to follow the law will result in a $490 fine and the loss of three demerit points. Police will crack down harder on distracted drivers with increased fines. A driver who is caught using a cellphone or any electronic device will be fined a minimum of $490 and will lose three demerit points. If caught three times, the driver will have his or her license sus- pended. In an effort to protect cyclists from being hit by a car door, drivers will have to give cyclists at least one metre of room where possible when passing. They'll also be fined between $300-$1,000 if they do not check be- fore opening the door into the path of a cyclist. Three demerit points will be doled out. The other two laws that have been amended under the Making Ontario Roads Safer Act will take effect next year. In January 2016, a new law pro- tecting pedestrians at crosswalks and school crossings is set to take place. Drivers will have to wait until the pe- destrian has completely crossed the road before making a turn. In the fall of 2016, there will be stiffer penalties for those caught driv- ing under the influence of drugs that mirror impaired driving by alcohol. Halton Regional Police are re- minding pedestrians, cyclists and motorists to be mindful of their in- tegral role in ensuring our roads are the safest they can be. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/1NIRPT1. Police remind Halton residents of new road rules in effect NEWS