Impaired drivers now face stiffer penalties if they are caught on Manitoba roads. The Safer Roads Act, which the provincial government introduced last June, came into effect Tuesday, just in time for the annual holiday check stops.
Anyone convicted of impaired driving must now participate in the ignition interlock program. This takes effect when drivers renew their licence, meaning drivers can no long avoid it by delaying licensing after serving their mandatory suspension.
The act increases the length of roadside driver’s licence suspensions for people caught with low blood alcohol levels, between .05 and .08 per cent. Now, anyone caught with a blood alcohol level in that range can lose their driving privileges for three days, up from 24 hours.
If a person aged 16 or under is in the car, that penalty increases to seven days, instead of three days under the old rules.
Police must also notify the registrar of motor vehicles when they lay impaired driving charges against a person.
Impaired driving contributed to the deaths of 235 people from 2010 to 2014.
