Ontario seeks new law to protect child victims of drunk driving

The Ontario government has announced it is evaluating a plan that could force drunk drivers who kill the parents of a child to pay long-term child support.

This plan is supposed to be presented together with the new criminal justice bill, but its final version has not been prepared yet. The general idea is that, similar to Texas' 2023 law, the at-fault party would be forced to pay monthly child support until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school.

"Doug Dani", the provincial attorney general, said the government is still working on the details and the plan is in the public consultation stage.

Donny emphasized:
"When a parent is killed by a drunk driver, children are faced with a harsh, lifelong reality. We have to find a solution to support them."

Ontario has made tougher changes to its handling of drunk driving in recent years, including lifetime driving bans for fatal offenders.

Source: