Nova Scotia’s Traffic Safety Act takes effect Oct. 19

HALIFAX: Nova Scotia’s new Traffic Safety Act takes effect on Oct. 19, replacing the Motor Vehicle Act with updated rules for drivers, cyclists, parents and municipalities across the province.

CTV News Atlantic reported on Oct. 7 that the province has announced “modern” traffic rules, with the Traffic Safety Act coming into force Oct. 19. The report also said the province is introducing stricter regulations for distracted drivers. The full text of that article could not be retrieved for this story, so this account relies on the headline and summary.

What changes

To Do Canada, a travel and events website, published a detailed summary on Oct. 7 that cites the provincial government’s own page on the changes. That summary has not been checked line by line against the Act itself, and readers should confirm specifics with the province before relying on them.

According to that summary, children under two must use a rear-facing restraint, as must any child under 10 kilograms. Booster-seat rules apply to children aged four to under nine who weigh at least 18 kilograms and are shorter than 145 centimetres. Child-restraint rules now extend to motorcycles.

For cyclists, drivers must leave at least one metre when passing a bicycle, including a cyclist in an unprotected bike lane, and may not pass a bicycle and then turn right in front of it. Cyclists generally must walk their bikes through crosswalks unless a physical disability prevents it, and children under 14 may ride on sidewalks. Passengers on bicycles need a dedicated seat and a helmet. A new “dooring” rule applies to all approaching traffic, not only bicycles.

The summary says vehicles may park up to 30 centimetres from a curb, up from 15 centimetres, and lists new parking offences covering sidewalks, medians, driveways without permission and community mailboxes. The minimum age to operate a power-assisted bicycle rises to 14, and its maximum speed rises from 30 km/h to 32 km/h. Traffic in both directions must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights, except on the opposite side of a divided highway, and taxi and rideshare drivers are no longer exempt from seatbelt requirements.

Vulnerable road users

The Act introduces the term “vulnerable road user,” which according to the summary includes pedestrians, certain roadside workers and emergency personnel, peace officers, farm-vehicle occupants, motorcyclists and cyclists. For convictions involving careful and prudent driving, careful and prudent speed, or dangerous speed, a court can suspend a driver’s licence for up to one year. Injury or death involving a vulnerable road user may be treated as an aggravating factor, and fines for those offences are doubled when a vulnerable road user is affected. The summary does not give dollar amounts, and none were confirmed for this story.

Background

The province tabled the Act on Sept. 23, 2025. In a news release that day, Public Works Minister Fred Tilley said the updates “respect the intent of the original act by prioritizing the safety of Nova Scotians.” The release said the new Act replaces a 2018 Traffic Safety Act that passed with all-party support but was never proclaimed because implementation was judged too complex and slow, and that the 2018 Act will be repealed. At that time the government said it expected to proclaim the new Act in early 2026. The Oct. 19 date reported this month is later than that estimate.

Mike Todd, executive director of Cycling Nova Scotia, said in the release that the Act recognizes “there are more than just motor vehicles on the road” and includes safeguards for cyclists and other vulnerable users. Sgt. John White of Nova Scotia RCMP Traffic Services called the initiative “a partner in road safety” and welcomed efforts to raise public awareness of road rules.

The release said many details, including the framework for cyclist rules, would be set out in regulations and phased in over time. What is open: the official provincial page could not be opened for this report, so the exact regulation text, fine schedules and any phase-in dates beyond Oct. 19 are unconfirmed. Questions can be sent to [email protected], the address the province lists for the Act.

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