Regional Police say new impaired driving penalties good first step

Regional Police say they applaude the province in their decision to allign penalties for drug impaired driving with drunk driving.

The Wynne government made the announcement yesterday ahead of next year’s marijuana legalization.

Under the proposed changes any driver who registers a warn or fail on a roadside screening device would be fined anywhere from $250 to $450.

The tougher penalties would be in addition to current federal criminal charges, suspensions and possible jail time for impaired driving.

Drivers who refuse to provide a sample for a roadside test face a $550 fine under the proposed law, up from the current $198 fine.

The province will also have ‘zero tolerance’ for young or novice drug-impaired drivers, but Waterloo Regional Police Chief Bryan Larkin says that measure should be extended across the board.

“There is a large science behind alcohol, there is a significant science of approved screening devices, devices that measure blood alcohol. We are not at the same level, and we are not at the same level of expertise for cannabis. Currently there has not been a device approved for police to use.”

Overall, Larkin praised the new changes, and says his force stands behind the province.

“I think overall we are very pleased to see the allignment with the currnet regulations and the current Highway Traffic Act around those who consume alcohol and drive. So from a policing perspective it brings balance.”

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada Ontario Board Member Carolyn Swinson also praised the province for its proposed laws, and said she hopes other provinces follow Ontario’s example.

“While Ontario is doing a good job in reducing those numbers, those numbers are still too high. In Canada we still have four people who are killed everyday, and about 160 who are injuried. Those are completely preventable.”

The group has also been calling for a zero tolerance approach to drivers who get behind the wheel with any drugs or alcohol in their system.

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