Brantford Police Service launched their 2024 Holiday R.I.D.E campaign, which will be running throughout the month of December.
The goal of the campaign is to take alcohol and drug-impaired drivers off the roads and help raise awareness surrounding the dangers and consequences of impaired driving.
Impaired driving means operating a vehicle (including cars, trucks, snowmobiles, and off-road vehicles) while your ability to do so has been compromised to any degree by consuming alcohol, drugs or a combination of the two. Impaired driving is a very serious offence that endangers the lives and safety of everyone on our roads.
Alcohol, even one drink, can reduce your ability to react to things that happen suddenly. The effects of alcohol also include blurred or double vision, impaired attention and slowed reflexes. Impaired driving is one of the leading causes of death on Ontario’s roads.
Brantford Police Service would also like to remind drivers that both prescription and non-prescription drugs are an impairment while driving.
Penalties for Impaired Driving
If police determine that you are driving while impaired by alcohol or any drug, including cannabis, illegal drugs, prescription, and over-the-counter medications, you will face severe penalties as well as potential criminal charges if convicted in court.
The penalties vary depending on the driver’s age, licence type, the amount of alcohol or drugs in your system, and the number of times you have been convicted.
Impaired drivers will face the following penalties (depending on circumstances):
- Licence Suspension (three days to lifetime)
- Vehicle Impoundment (seven days)
- Financial Penalties Payable ($250 to $550)
- Licence Reinstatement Fee ($281)
- An ignition interlock device may be required (six months to ten years)
- Attendance of mandatory education or treatment program(s)
- A mandatory medical evaluation to determine whether you meet the requirements for driving in Ontario
If convicted criminally of impaired driving in court, drivers can also face additional fines and jail time.
Throughout Canada, the maximum legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for fully licensed drivers is to be under 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, or 0.08. Driving with a BAC of 0.08 or over is a criminal offence and the penalties are severe.
In Ontario, you will also face serious consequences if your BAC is between 0.05 and 0.08. This is commonly referred to as the “warn range.”
Drivers aged 21 or under, and novice drivers of any age (with G1, G2, M1, or M2 licenses) must not have any presence of alcohol in their blood when behind the wheel. This is commonly referred to as the “zero BAC” or “zero tolerance” rule.
Young and novice drivers are also prohibited from having any presence of cannabis in their system as well as other drugs that can be detected using approved drug screening equipment. Ontario has a zero-tolerance approach to both alcohol and drugs for all young and novice drivers.
Don’t Do It – Avoid Driving Impaired
There are simple steps you can take to stay safe and avoid driving while you are impaired by drugs or alcohol:
- Have a plan to get home safely. Have a designated driver, use public transit, call a friend or family member for a ride, call a taxi or ride share, or stay overnight.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist about side effects related to driving when using prescription medication.
- Read the information on the package of any prescription drugs or over-the-counter medicine, including allergy and cold remedies.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist about how a prescription drug could affect you.
“Remember that combining drugs and alcohol together can impair your ability to drive more than using either one alone.”
“Have a plan to get home safely. Have a designated driver, use public transit, call a friend or family member for a ride, call a taxi or ride share, or stay overnight. There is never an excuse for impaired driving.”
