The Ontario government is working on new rules that would require impaired drivers to pay ongoing child support if they kill a child’s parent or guardian. This plan builds on the Safer Roads and Communities Act, 2024, and is part of the province’s efforts to protect families and hold impaired drivers responsible for the harm they cause. These payments would be in addition to other penalties, including the right of families to sue impaired drivers in civil court.
Attorney General Doug Downey said no child should be left to cope alone after losing a parent to impaired driving. He said the loss can leave children facing emotional and financial struggles, and the government wants to find practical ways to support them.
Impaired driving is preventable and remains the leading cause of death on Ontario roads. In 2021, 182 people died in impaired driving crashes. Of those, 96 deaths were linked to alcohol and 86 were linked to drugs.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said families often suffer lifelong pain when a drunk driver kills a loved one, especially when children lose a parent. He said Ontario already has some of the strongest penalties for impaired driving and that the government is taking another step to support victims.
In 2023, Texas passed a similar law requiring impaired drivers convicted of killing a child’s parent or guardian to pay child support until the child turns 18 or finishes high school. Ontario will study this and other examples as it decides how to move forward with its own plan.
