By CHAT News Today

Safer roads

Province wants immediate penalties for impaired driving

Jun 4, 2020 | 4:14 PM

EDMONTON, AB – The Alberta government is moving to establish a program that will give serious, immediate and escalating consequences to impaired drivers.

Bill 21, the Provincial Administrative Penalties Act has been introduced, which according to the government would help restore justice system capacity and make roads safer.

“If passed, Alberta will create a simplified, accessible and swift system for resolving matters involving most first-time impaired driving and other traffic safety offences” reads a release.

The release adds that removing these matters from the court system thousands of hours of police and court time per year will be saved, ensuring Alberta’s prosecutors and courts are able focus on the most serious justice matters and more police are patrolling the streets.

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This bill would create the Immediate Roadside Sanction program later this year. The government says the system has been proven to significantly reduce impaired driving and especially impaired driving fatalities in other jurisdictions.

“We have heard loud and clear from Albertans that they are frustrated with seeing cases dropped because of the court backlog we inherited from the previous government. This legislation proposes smart administrative changes that will ensure our courts and police can keep our communities safe by focusing on serious and violent crime,” _{Doug Schweitzer, minister of justice and Solicitor general}

New zero-tolerance consequences for novice drivers and commercial drivers will also be introduced, as will new fines, longer vehicle seizures, mandatory education and lengthy periods of ignition interlock. Repeat offenders, impaired drivers who cause bodily harm or death, and other more serious cases will still receive criminal charges in addition to the other penalties.

While all impaired drivers will face immediate consequences, the government is also creating a faster and more accessible way of resolving disputes to enhance public safety by keeping impaired drivers off the roads. Under the new model, non-criminally-charged drivers can quickly and easily review their tickets online and have their matter completed within 30 days.

“This announcement is good news for policing and the justice system as a whole,” said Dale McFee, chief, Edmonton Police Service, and president, Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police. “With court time being used more appropriately, we will have increased capacity to begin repairing the damage caused by impaired driving and follow other successful models in reducing traffic collisions that cause serious injury or death. An expedient, simplified traffic system also means officers are granted more time in our communities to focus on reducing crime and victimization.”

The new laws and sanctions are welcomed by MADD Canada, says CEO Andrew Murie.

Increased impaired driving consequences will include:

• Fines of up to $2,000.
• Increasing length of vehicle seizure from three days to 30.
• New mandatory education programs for repeat offenders.
• New and longer periods of mandatory ignition interlock, especially for repeat impaired drivers.