In the News

New drinking and driving rules nab 10,000
Sun Media
By Antonella Artuso
December 3, 2009

Ontario has issued just over 10,600 three-day roadside suspensions to drivers who have blown in the "warn-range" since tougher impaired driving penalties came into effect May 1.

The province's minimum three-day administrative licence suspension for drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 to 0.08% is one of the key reasons Ontario topped all other provinces and territories in MADD's 2009 rating of provinces and territories which was released yesterday.

Andrew Murie, CEO of MADD Canada, said their investigative team compared the anti-impaired drinking programs of each province and territory.

Ontario earned an "A-minus" score -- the same mark that Manitoba received -- but came out on top because its initiatives are significantly better than even the next best jurisdiction, Murie said.

"As I go across the country, now, Ontario is our model province," Murie said. "It's the one, I think, everybody else has to live up to."

In addition to the stronger roadside suspension penalties, Ontario has a graduated licensing program for new drivers and alcohol interlock and remedial programs.

In 2008, Ontario had the lowest impaired driving offence rates in the country, 43% lower than the national average.

Jurisdictions like Ontario that take the lead on impaired driving need to be recognized because they often bear the brunt of the initial public resistance, Murie said.

Ontario Transportation Minister Jim Bradley said police have reported that the new warn-range penalties are not proving popular with some motorists.

"There are people who become annoyed from time to time ... when we bring in measures of this kind," Bradley said. "But as the statistics have shown, people in that warn-range are seven times more likely to be involved in a serious accident (than) if they'd not been drinking at all."

From May 1 to Nov. 30, police issued three-day suspensions to 10,609 drivers, seven-day suspensions to 124 drivers and 30-day suspensions to five drivers.

Also see...

Rating the Provinces