Canada: Government announces new alcohol-impaired driving laws will come into force
December 4, 2018
Reformed laws will help save Canadian lives on the road
OTTAWA, Dec. 4, 2018 /CNW/ – The Government of Canada has taken important steps to strengthen the criminal justice system to better protect Canadians from impaired driving.
Today, as we mark Safe Driving Week, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada reminds Canadians that changes to the laws relating to alcohol-impaired driving in the Criminal Code will take effect December 18. These reforms build on the recent changes to strengthen the law of drug-impaired driving.
Importantly, the alcohol-impaired driving reforms will implement mandatory alcohol screening in Canada. Mandatory alcohol screening will authorize law enforcement to demand a breath sample at the roadside from any driver that has been lawfully stopped. This is a proven traffic safety measure that has had significant success in preventing road deaths in countries such as Australia and Ireland.
The new law will repeal and replace the entire Criminal Code transportation regime, resulting in a modernized, simplified, and comprehensive approach to transportation offences, including impaired driving. This area is one of the most litigated in the Criminal Code. The new legal framework will increase deterrence and the detection of impaired drivers, and simplify the investigation and proof of the impaired driving offences resulting in shorter trials and reduced delays.
Part 1 of the former Bill C-46 came into force on June 21 and was about drug-impaired driving. Part 2 focuses on alcohol-impaired driving and will come into force December 18, 2018. Together, both sets of measures will save lives.