The Highway Traffic Act Laws in Ontario

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  Highway traffic laws in Ontario are quite similar to those in the rest of Canada and in the United States. Typically, highway traffic laws are monitored by the Ontario Provincial Police.
  
  

Speed Limit

• The speed limit on most Ontario highways is 100 km per hour. However, there are exceptions to this rule. According to the Highway Traffic Act of 1990, within a local municipality or a built-up area, the speed limit is 50 km per hour. In some areas, 80 km/hour is the limit. The rate in school zones and construction zones also differ. The speed limit would be as posted within that particular area of highway. For school zones, 150 meters of the road to and from the entrance or exit of a school is usually designated for lower speed limits when the school is active.
  
  

The Right Side of the Road

• In Ontario and all parts of Canada, vehicles must drive on the right side of the road. On multi-lane highways, the furthest left lane is the passing lane and is often designated for drivers whose speed is higher than those driving in the right lane.
  
  

Express and Collectors

• On some Ontario highways, like the 401, the 407 and the 404, the highway is divided into an Express section and a Collectors section. The Express has fewer exit and entry points than the Collectors, and cars typically drive at a higher speed in these lanes. Multiple exit routes are gathered together in the Express, allowing for these fewer exit and entry points. When exiting the Express lanes, drivers are exited back to the Collectors lanes, where they choose their specific exit.
  
  

Toll Roads

• Highway 407 Express Toll Route (ETR) is the only toll road in Ontario. It runs 108 km in length but has more than 1,070 km of lanes, according to the 407 ETR official website. The 407 is run electronically. As you drive onto the 407, an overhead gantry automatically records the beginning and end of your trip. This information is used to calculate the cost of your drive through the highway.
  
  Drivers who often use the 407 may sometimes have transponders, a small electronic device that saves a driver money on toll charges. Those without transponders are directed through the 407's license plate recognition system.