Getting Things Done: Tackling Drug-Impaired Driving

December 21, 2006

Drug impaired drivers are involved in an estimated one out of every eight fatal collisions in Canada.

The new legislation introduced today will get tough on drug impaired driving by:

• Making it an offence to refuse a test for driving a car while drug-impaired;

• Making it a criminal offence to be in care or control of a vehicle while in possession of an illegal drug;

• Providing for a driver to face the same penalties as the person who is in possession of such drug and to receive a mandatory driving prohibition;

• No longer accepting witness testimony which challenges test results, and limit the "evidence to the contrary" defense against the result of approved screening devices to evidence based on science;

• Extending the "impaired driving causing death/bodily harm" penalties to include refusal to take a breathalyzer test;

• Increasing the minimum fine to $1,000, and triple the maximum penalty for a summary conviction to 18 months; and

• Enabling police to test someone they have reasonable grounds to suspect has been in care or control of a vehicle in the previous two hours.

For repeat offenders, the new law will increase the prison term to 30 days from 14 days for a second offence, and to 120 days from 90 for a third offence. The new law will also impose the same minimum penalties and driving prohibitions currently given to repeat impaired drivers to those found driving in violation of their prohibition.

Andrew Murie, chief Executive officer of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), welcomed the new government’s commitment to crack down on drug impaired driving and urged MPs to pass the new law in this Sitting of Parliament.

Canada’s New Government encourages Parliamentarians of all political stripes to support the new law because it will help police get drug-impaired drivers off Canadian streets.