TORONTO—Michael Mantha, MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin, tabled legislation at Queen’s Park on May 8 to amend the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) respecting the medical condition reporting (MCR) regime in Ontario.
Last year, a series of articles by investigative journalists at the Toronto Star revealed that Ontario’s reporting system was prone to arbitrarily suspending drivers’ licences. In many cases individuals who visited a hospital later found out that a report had been submitted to the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) which led to the loss of their licence. In some instances, individuals were not informed about the suspension until after it had taken effect weeks earlier.
The investigative reporting revealed that in many cases healthcare professionals feel required to report patients who do not pose a risk because of the strict mandatory reporting requirements that Ontario has in place. This has resulted in individuals being afraid to speak openly with their healthcare provider out of fear that their licence will be taken away.
The private member’s bill introduced by MPP Mantha will amend the (HTA) to bring the sections related to MCR in line with other jurisdictions in Canada. If passed, the amendments would require a doctor to assess an individual’s fitness to drive, rather than just their symptoms when deciding to make a report. A report to the MTO would still be mandatory where an individual has been told not to drive by their healthcare provider and continues to do so.
