TORONTO – Ontario is preparing to table new legislation known as Andrew’s Law, a package of reforms aimed at cracking down on dangerous driving and keeping repeat offenders off the road. The proposals are part of a broader provincial justice bill that the government says is designed to better protect people on Ontario roadways.
Key facts about Andrew’s Law
- Named in memory of Andrew Cristillo, a 35-year-old father of three killed in a head-on collision in Whitchurch-Stouffville in August 2025.
- Would introduce lifetime driving bans for people convicted of dangerous driving causing death in Ontario.
- Gives police new roadside powers, including immediate 90-day licence suspensions and vehicle impoundment when they reasonably believe a driver is operating dangerously.
- Includes higher fines and longer impound periods for repeat dangerous driving offences.
- Builds on recommendations from the Cristillo family’s “Andrew’s Law” petition calling for tougher penalties and stronger driver education across the province.
Why Andrew’s Law is being proposed
Andrew Cristillo was driving with his wife and three young daughters when their vehicle was struck in a head-on crash. He died at the scene and his family was seriously injured. The driver in the other vehicle, an 18-year-old man, faces charges that include dangerous driving causing death and stunt driving, along with earlier charges from a separate collision involving a police vehicle escorting Premier Doug Ford on Highway 401.
Following Andrew’s death, his brother Jordan and the family launched a province-wide petition calling for sweeping reforms to how dangerous, impaired and stunt driving cases are handled. Their proposal, also referred to as Andrew’s Law, calls for immediate suspensions when serious driving charges are laid, lifetime bans for repeat offenders who kill or seriously injure, mandatory jail for driving while disqualified and stronger road safety education for new drivers and in schools.
What Andrew’s Law would change on Ontario roads
Stronger penalties for fatal dangerous driving
Lifetime licence bans
The centrepiece of Andrew’s Law is a new lifetime driving ban for anyone convicted of dangerous driving causing death. The goal is to prevent the most serious offenders from returning behind the wheel after a fatal collision.
New roadside powers for police
Immediate suspensions and impoundment
- Police would be able to suspend a driver’s licence at the roadside for 90 days if they reasonably believe the person was driving dangerously.
- Vehicles connected to suspected dangerous driving could be impounded on the spot, keeping them off the road while charges are dealt with.
Escalating fines and impound periods
- First offence: proposed 14-day impoundment and fines in the range of several thousand dollars.
- Second offence: longer suspensions and higher maximum fines.
- Subsequent offences: even steeper financial penalties and extended impound periods, targeting chronic high-risk drivers.
Education and distracted driving penalties
The government says Andrew’s Law would be paired with measures to strengthen road safety education and address distracted driving. Plans include enhanced curriculum for young and novice drivers and higher fines for those caught using phones or other devices behind the wheel.
Part of a broader justice and public safety push
Andrew’s Law is expected to be tabled as part of a wider fall justice bill at Queen’s Park. Alongside changes to dangerous driving laws, the government has signalled that the package will include other public safety measures and justice reforms aimed at keeping violent and repeat offenders off the streets.
Reaction from the Cristillo family
In public statements, Andrew’s brother Jordan has said his family’s goal is to make sure no one else has to live through the same loss. He argues that a tougher, consistent response to dangerous driving is needed so that serious offences result in meaningful consequences, and so that people who repeatedly put others at risk cannot simply return to the road.
What happens next
- The justice bill containing Andrew’s Law is scheduled to be introduced in the Ontario Legislature, where it will go through debate and committee review.
- If passed, the new penalties and roadside powers would be written into Ontario law and applied alongside existing provisions in the Highway Traffic Act and Criminal Code.
- Advocates and road safety experts will be watching closely to see exactly how lifetime bans, roadside suspensions and education measures are implemented.
Where to learn more
- Official Ontario government news release: Province cracking down on dangerous driving to protect people on Ontario roadways
- Cristillo family’s petition: Implement Andrew’s Law for safer roads
- Video overview of the announcement: “It was murder”: Doug Ford introduces law to strengthen dangerous driving penalties
- Legislative Assembly bill tracker: Ontario Legislature – Current bills
This article will be updated as the full text of the bill and its progress through the Legislature become available.
