Stiffer penalties for impaired driving are now in effect in Ontario.
The new penalties came into effect on January 1.
Penalties can vary depending on your age, licence type, the amount of alcohol or drugs in your system, and how many times you have been convicted or had your licence suspended.
As always, police can issue immediate licence suspensions, vehicle impoundment, and fees.
The changes come in the form of longer roadside suspensions for young or novice drivers, and mandatory remedial education for first-time offenders.
For those with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) between 0.05-0.079, who fail standard roadside sobriety tests, first time offenders face a seven day immediate licence suspension, an eight hour education course and a $250 fine. Second time offenders face a 14 day immediate licence suspension, a 16 hour treatment program and a $350 fine. Third time offenders face a 30 day immediate licence suspension, a 16 hour treatment program, a six month ignition interlock condition, and a $450 fine. Offenders will also have to pay a licence reinstatement fee every time they are suspended.
Those with a BAC of 0.08 or more, and who fail or refuse to comply with alcohol or drug testing, face similar penalties except the fine is $550 and the immediate suspension is bumped up to 90 days. Upon a first conviction, an offender's licence is suspended for one year. A second conviction results in a licence suspension for three years, while a third conviction can lead to a lifetime driving ban.
The province has also introduced stricter rules for drug-alcohol combinations and potential lifetime bans for impaired driving causing death.
