Tougher penalties for impaired driving proposed

Proposed legislation will further increase the penalties for impaired driving in Prince Edward Island.
 
Amendments to the Highway Traffic Act would extend vehicle impoundments, increase some ignition interlock terms, add licence suspensions to a driving record, and toughen rules for younger drivers. The proposal completed second reading at the Legislative Assembly yesterday.
 
 “We have seen impaired driving due to drugs and alcohol decrease in Prince Edward Island, but the only acceptable goal is to eliminate it completely,” Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy Minister Paula Biggar said. “This is another step on our Road to Zero – zero impaired driving, zero accidents, and zero fatalities on our Island roads.”
 
If approved by the legislature, the amendments will:

• allow vehicle impoundments for roadside driving suspensions and for impaired driving convictions;

• increase the minimum mandatory ignition interlock term for those convicted of a second impaired
driving offence to three years and five years based on blood alcohol levels;

• extend the zero-tolerance period for blood alcohol so that it applies to all drivers below 22 year of age; and

• allow short term roadside driver license suspensions to be added to a driver’s abstract.
 
The amendments to the Highway Traffic Act were developed in consultation with MADD Canada and the Prince Edward Island Association of Chiefs of Police. They also draw on the work the PEI 2013 Impaired Driving Summit.
 
“MADD Canada is pleased with the comprehensive changes that the Prince Edward Island government is undertaking to lead the nation in the fight against impaired driving,” said MADD Canada CEO Andrew Murie. “The leadership shown by the PEI government is truly appreciated by victims of impaired driving who know first-hand the tragic consequences impaired driving has on families.”
 
"The Prince Edward Island Association of Chiefs of Police applauds the provincial government for taking further steps to give the police the ability to better combat impaired driving on our island,” said President Lewis Sutherland, chief of the Kensington Police Department.” We feel that the new amendments will help us reach our shared goals of zero impaired driving, zero accidents, and zero fatalities on our island highways."
 
For more information visit, Impaired Driving.

Media contact:
Ron Ryder
Department of Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy
902-368-5112
rrryder@gov.pe.ca