Starting Dec. 1, police will have more tools to remove suspended and impaired drivers off Ontario’s roads.
The change will also mean added enforcement against people who have had their driver’s licences suspended for consistently not paying family support.
The new seven-day vehicle impoundment will apply to drivers whose licences are suspended for:
– driving while under certain Highway Traffic Act licence suspensions including non-payment of family support;
– driving with a blood alcohol concentration over .08 (beyond the legal limit) or for failing or refusing to provide a breath sample; and
– driving without an ignition interlock device when one is required.
Those changes are part of the Road Safety Act, 2009 and the provincial government is hoping they will make Ontario’s roads safer for all drivers.
Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne said, “Drivers who continue to get behind the wheel and put others at risk when their licence is suspended are unacceptable. To keep our roads safe, police have been given the tools to get these drivers off our roads.”
Minister of Community and Social Services Madeleine Meilleur added, “Good parents do the right thing and pay to support their children, but sometimes we need to take stronger action. This new measure adds to the Family Responsibility Office’s enforcement measures, and will help us recover support payments owed to Ontario children and families.”
The chief executive officer of MADD Canada was also in support of the moves.
“MADD Canada is pleased to see Ontario introducing new vehicle impoundment measures to deal with drivers who repeatedly disregard the law,” said Andrew Murie. “Impounding vehicles is an effective option for dealing with those drivers who do not get the message and continue to drive impaired or while suspended.”
The Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner was also pleased.
“This new law will help save lives because it will provide police with the necessary tools to seize vehicles from drivers who, through irresponsible driving behaviour, put the motoring public and their families at risk of serious injury and death,” said Chris Lewis.
Driving while suspended is a serious issue across North America. It is estimated that up to three-quarters of all suspended drivers continue to drive. Approximately 2.3 per cent of all fatal and injury crashes in Ontario involve drivers with suspended or revoked licences.
Annually, Ontario issues approximately 17,000 licence suspensions related to people driving with a blood to alcohol concentration over .08 or for failing or refusing to provide a breath sample.
Between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010, the Family Responsibility Office suspended 3,965 driver’s licenses.
In Ontario drivers who operate a motor vehicle while under licence suspension can face one of two kinds of impoundment.
In the first, vehicles driven in Ontario by persons apprehended for driving while their licence is suspended for a Criminal Code conviction will be impounded for a minimum of 45 days.
Effective Dec. 1, drivers caught driving with a driver’s licence that is already under a specific Highway Traffic Act suspension – including default of family support, but not including suspensions for defaulted fines or medical conditions – will have the vehicle they are driving impounded for seven days.
Also effective Dec. 1, there will be impoundments for:
– drivers required to have a vehicle ignition interlock device and who are caught driving without such a device; and
– all drivers caught with a blood alcohol concentration over .08 or who fail or refuse to comply with a demand to provide a breath sample made by a police officer under the Criminal Code of Canada.
Those penalties are in addition to the existing seven-day impoundment for drivers engaged in a race, stunts or contests on Ontario’s roads.
