MADD Canada‘s CEO welcomes Alberta’s new impaired driving legislation set to come in effect next month.
Starting on April 9, anyone caught driving while impaired from alcohol or drugs will automatically receive a 90 day licence suspension.
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An additional one-year driving suspension will follow, where the suspended driver may be allowed to drive if they participate in Alberta’s Ignition Interlock Program.
Andrew Murie, CEO of MADD Canada, said the legislation will keep other drivers safe.
“It helps people that are having problems with their drinking and it changes how they drink before they drive,” Murie said.
The province introduced new legislation after the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled that parts of the province’s licence suspension legislation were unconstitutional.
The previous law allowed the province to suspend the licence of suspected drunk drivers as soon as charges are laid and until their case was resolved in court.
“This lays the groundwork to have something that is constitutionally sound,” Murie said.
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A press release issued by the province this week said the new legislation will help Alberta enforce upcoming changes to federal impaired driving charges, related to legal limits for cannabis.
“It’s not all about penalties for us, a lot of it is about deterring people from driving impaired in the first place. We know that lowers the number of deaths and injuries.”
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