Everyone knows not to drink and drive, but a study from the Centers for Disease Control in the United States showed that impaired driving is linked to more deaths in Canada than in any other Western country.
In Canada, 34 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths were linked to impaired driving, compared to 31 percent in the United States and New Zealand and 30 percent in Australia and Slovenia.
One option to reduce the number of deaths would be to introduce random roadside breathalyzer tests, but this might violate the Charter unless it could be proven that the measure would work and that current tactics weren’t working. Some also advocate lowering the legal limit to 0.05 percent blood alcohol level, but critics argue that this would punish moderate drinkers with a blood alcohol level that does not constitute impairment.
And as if drunk driving wasn’t serious enough, now a new issue is on the horizon: drug impaired driving. Legislation introduced this fall means that motorists who are driving while high on marijuana will face the same penalties as drunk drivers. This means a minimum fine of $180 and an immediate suspension of their driver’s licence. They could also face criminal charges, which could mean a jail sentence of up to five years.
Other penalties include:
- Licence suspension for three days for a first offence, seven days for a second and 30 days for a third.
- Licences can be suspended for 90 days and vehicles impounded for seven days if the motorist is taken to a police station for testing, which can include a urine test.
