Advertisement

MADD: Ontario needs a zero-tolerance approach to impaired driving

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) says Ontario needs a zero-tolerance approach to impaired driving. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

TORONTO – Whether at a dinner party or a restaurant, people often have a drink or two before driving home.

They think they’re okay to drive. But are they?

A new study out of the University of Florida suggests just one drink for people older than 55 might be enough to impair their driving ability.

And now, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) says Ontario needs a zero-tolerance approach to impaired driving.

“You should never drink when you are going to drive,” Andrew Murie, CEO of MADD said. “We are always going to face this battle of how much can you drink and then drive – which is just really the wrong message.”

The number of people charged with impaired driving in Ontario is among the lowest in Canada. That may be because there is a zero tolerance policy for drivers aged 21 and younger and for those people with a G1 or G2 license, regardless of their age.

Story continues below advertisement
“If you are found to have any alcohol in your blood while operating a vehicle you will be immediately suspended and can be charged, that’s under provincial law,” Toronto Police Cst. Clint Stibbe said in an interview Friday. “If you exceed the legal limit of 80 milligrams [.08] now you are looking at criminal charges.”

But MADD officials say even that is too high.

“[The limit should] definitely be .05, and provincially it should move down from there whether it’s .03 or .04, something like that.

I think that’s the kind of step we need in between before we go to a total zero tolerance,” Murie said.

Sponsored content

AdChoices