Starting last Dec 18, 2018, the new Impaired Driving laws of the Canadian Criminal Code are in place. Following, the most important details of the new Alcohol Law, the limits and penalties related to Impaired Driving and some statistics you should be aware of.
Mandatory Alcohol Screening
This is the most radical change to the code and the most important one. Canadian Police have always had the power to order to stop drivers, but only to proceed with alcohol screenings when clear elements justify so. The new law empowers police officers to demand a roadside screening with an authorized device for Alcohol Screening under any circumstance.
Screening drivers and catching impaired ones will definitely and actively save tons of lives among those 1,000 - 2,000 that die on the road every year plus the more than 100,000+ victims of these accidents: that, plus the secondary result of people being more careful with their driving conditions.
Limits and Penalties
The new Bill C-46 modification to the previous Criminal Code also refreshes the restrictions and penalties of Impaired Driving under the following conditions:
Alcohol Limit
- Prohibited blood-alcohol concentration is 80 milligrams or more (mg) of alcohol per 100 milliliters (ml) of blood.
Cannabis/THC Limits:
- Less serious offense to have between 2 nanograms (ng) and 5 ng of THC per ml of blood.
- More serious offense to have 5 ng of THC or more per ml of blood.
Cannabis/THC & Alcohol Combined:
- 50mg or more of alcohol per 100ml blood and 2.5 ng or more of THC per ml of blood.
Penalties
You can read the full-text version of the Penalties.
Impaired Driving Statistics in Canada
The following numbers are all taken from Stats Canada; please refer to the main source for reference. On the latest year reported on the website:
- Canada Overall: 201 reported incidents per 100,000 population (back in 1986 it was 577 incidents per 100,000)
- Most individuals who have driven after drinking have done so more than one time
- Rates are lower in urban areas
- Almost 50% incidents occur between 11 p.m. & 4 a.m.
- The rate is higher among drivers aged 20 - 24
- Individuals who play team sports are more likely to drink and drive
- Majority of impaired drivers are male, although the proportion who are female is increasing
Provinces with the Highest Rates:
- #1 - SK - 575 incidents / 100,000
- #2 - AB - 314 incidents / 100,000
- (...)
- # 9 - QC - 184 incidents / 100,000
- #10 - ON - 111 incidents / 100,000
NT and NU rates are not proportional due to the small amount of population, so it is not relevant to display these using the same scale, although you can see the full table here.
Drive Safe Canada
All this info is not just the one who drinks and drives. It is also for those who never do, or never will, but need to know where they drive, as we are not alone on the road. Be informed and drive safe.
