Promote road safety, don’t drink and drive

North Bay Police Service
News Release

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Do your part to build strong and safe communities:

1. Discuss crime prevention with your family, friends, neighbours, and co-workers.

2. Protect your family, your property and yourself.

3. Get involved in your community.

4. Speak up for victims of crime. Theme of the day - “Promote road safety, don’t drink and drive”


Impaired driving is a serious problem. In Ontario, impaired drivers cause thousands of traffic accidents every year. Drinking drivers are responsible for approximately one-quarter of all people killed on Ontario roadways. Every year, approximately 18,000 drivers in Ontario are suspended for Criminal Code convictions. About 85% of those convictions are related to drinking and driving.

What are some of the latest laws on ‘Drinking and Driving”?

Zero Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) for Novice and Young Drivers 21 and Under

• Novice drivers of any age and all drivers 21 and under, regardless of licence class, must have a blood alcohol level of zero when operating a motor vehicle. If caught with any amount of alcohol in your blood, the novice or young driver may receive a fine along with a suspension of his/her driver’s licence. The novice driver would also have to return to the start of the GLS (Graduated Licensing System) along with a fine/suspension of driver’s licence.

• Once grounds are formed that a driver may be over the legal limit of blood/alcohol concentration in their body when operating a motor vehicle or if the driver refuses to provide a breath sample to police when a Roadside Screening Device demand/Breathalyzer Test demand is made, an automatic 7-day vehicle impounded is imposed on the driver.


What is the legal limit?

• The legal limit of blood/alcohol concentration for any driver of a motor vehicle in Canada is (0.08) which signifies 80mgs of alcohol in 100ml of blood. Every person’s metabolism is different; therefore, there is no set amount of alcohol that can be determined as a cut off prior to operating a vehicle. The only way to ensure that a driver is not over the legal limit is to have a screening test administered by a qualified operator of that device (which is most often not an option) or not to consume any alcohol prior to operating a motor vehicle.

• Regardless if the driver’s blood/alcohol concentration is above or below the legal limit, he/she can still be considered an ‘impaired driver’ simply due to their driving ability along with their level of intoxication determined by the observations of a police officer.

• Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle and Drive over 80mgs are two separate charges under the Criminal Code of Canada. A driver can be charged with either one or both depending on the driving evidence and readings of the blood/alcohol concentration from the driver.
Constant reminders to the public…

IT’S THE LAW! - Don’t drink and drive

GET INVOLVED! – Call 911 if you suspect an impaired driver operating a motor vehicle. Try and note vehicle’s location/direction of travel, make, model, licence plate number and if possible, driver’s description.

SPEAK UP! – Promote road safety by speaking about the risks and consequences of drinking and driving with family, friends and relatives.

Tomorrow’s theme of the day: “Let’s protect society’s most valued asset, our children”

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