Tougher impaired driving laws come to BC
The death of a four-year-old girl killed by an alleged drunk driver two years ago in Delta has prompted the B.C. government to get tougher with impaired drivers.
Solicitor General Mike de Jong says the B.C. government wants to cut drunk driving deaths in the province by 35 per cent by 2013.
The parents of four-year-old Alexa Middelaer, along with representatives of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, were at the B.C. legislature for the introduction of Bill 14, the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act.
Under the new rules, drivers who provide a blood-alcohol content breath sample above .08 or refuse to provide a breath sample at the roadside will face an immediate 90-day driving ban, a $500 fine, and possible criminal charges.
Drivers who provide a breath sample with a blood alcohol content in the warning range between .05 and .08 could get an immediate three-day driving ban and a $200 fine.
A 56-year-old Delta woman is scheduled to go to trial next month on two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm and death, and two counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm and death in connection to the accident that killed Alexa.
More information:
Penalties for all impaired drivers will increase. For example, a driver who provides a breath sample in the "fail" range on a roadside screening device (above 0.08 per cent BAC) will face:
• An immediate, 90-day driving ban and a $500 administrative penalty. Currently, a driver who receives a 90-day ban may still drive for three weeks before that ban is in effect, and no administrative penalty applies.
• A driver’s license reinstatement fee of $250 – up from the current $100.
• A bill of about $700 for towing and 30 days of impoundment. Currently, drivers may get their vehicle back the day after they are caught.
• Mandatory participation in the existing Responsible Driver Program, which costs participants $880, and mandatory use of an ignition interlock device for one year, which currently costs $1,420.
• Thus, one "fail" on a roadside screening device will cost a driver about $3,750 before they can legally operate a vehicle again, following any related suspension.
• The driver may also face an impaired driving charge under the Criminal Code of Canada.
A driver who provides a breath sample in the "warn" range on a roadside screening device (between 0.05 and 0.08 per cent BAC) for the first time in a five-year period will face:
• A three-day driving ban and a $200 administrative penalty. (Note: these will rise to a seven-day ban and $300 penalty for a second "warn" reading within five years, and a 30-day ban and $400 penalty for a third "warn" reading within five years.) Currently, a 24-hour driving ban is common for a "warn."
• A driver’s license reinstatement fee of $250. This is a new cost for this driver, as the current reinstatement fee of $100 only applies to driving bans longer than 24 hours.
• The possibility of three days of vehicle impoundment, which will cost about $150.
• Thus, a driver’s first "warn" will cost about $600 once the new laws are in effect.
