October 19, 2006

Ontario: ‘an under-achiever with potential’
says MADD Canada with the release of its study
Rating the Provinces and Territories:  The 2006 Report Card

Toronto, Ontario -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada released its comprehensive study on provincial and territorial impaired driving laws today and Ontario received a grade of B, good for the ranking of second place amongst 13 jurisdictions.

“Ontario use to be able to boast having the best impaired driving laws in the country, but not anymore,” says Carolyn Swinson, President of MADD Toronto Chapter. “We are disappointed with Ontario’s lack of interest in improving on its record. Manitoba has provided a great example of striving for and enacting more effective impaired driving laws. We hope the Ontario government will re-focus on the issue of impaired driving and demonstrate the political will that’s needed to make our Province’s roads safer from drinking drivers.”

“Ontario’s performance reflects that of an under-achiever with a great deal of potential,” says Mrs. Swinson.

In the document Rating the Provinces and Territories: The 2006 Report Card, MADD Canada presents five core elements as being essential in provincial and territorial efforts to reduce impaired driving:

• a comprehensive graduated licensing program for all new drivers, including express police powers to enforce it;
• a .00% BAC limit for all drivers under 21 or with less than five years driving experience;
• express police powers to stop vehicles, establish sobriety checkpoints, and demand field sobriety testing from suspected alcohol and/or drug impaired drivers;
• strengthening the existing short-term roadside licence suspension programs for drivers with BACs of .05% or higher, to include a 7-14 day licence suspension, a $150–$300 licence reinstatement fee, the recording of the suspension on the driver’s record, and mandatory remedial measures for repeat violations; and
• mandatory alcohol interlock, vehicle impoundment and forfeiture, and remedial programs.

In the study, Ontario scored poorly on its lack of restrictions on drivers in the Province’s graduated licensing program and with elements of its short-term administrative licence suspension. In addition, according to the best practices found within Canada, Ontario needs to introduce a 24-hour suspension for unfitness, improve its alcohol interlock and remedial programs, and introduce vehicle forfeiture.

Manitoba scored the highest grade in the study with an A -.  Manitoba was lauded for its introduction of new legislative reforms including a five-year, zero-BAC for new drivers. 

Full details of RTP 2006, including a podcast interview with study co-author Professor Robert Solomon can be found on www.madd.ca.

For more information, visit www.madd.ca, or call:

Carolyn Swinson, MADD Toronto Chapter President
(416) 924-2666

Andrew Murie, MADD Canada’s CEO
1-800-665-6233, ext. 224

Also see:

For a complete listing of media releases and resource documents, see the Rating the Provinces web page.