A Holiday RIDE campaign by the Brantford Police Service is underway for the month of December.
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The program aims to raise awareness about the dangers and consequences of driving while impaired, and to take drivers off the road who are impaired by alcohol or drugs.
“Impaired driving means operating a vehicle (including cars, trucks, snowmobiles, and off-road vehicles) while your ability to do so has been compromised to any degree by consuming alcohol, drugs, or a combination of the two,” said Robin Matthews -Osmond, communications manager for BPS. “Impaired driving is a very serious offense that endangers the lives and safety of everyone on our roads.”
Police say consuming just one alcoholic beverage can reduce your ability to react to sudden circumstances due to slowed reflexes, inattentiveness, and blurred or double vision.
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Motorists are advised that both prescription and non-prescription drugs are an impairment while operating a vehicle.
Drivers impaired by alcohol, cannabis, illegal drugs, prescription and over-the-counter medications face severe penalties and potential criminal charges if convicted in court. Penalties vary depending on the driver’s age, type of license, previous convictions, and the amount of alcohol or drugs in your system at the time of arrest.
Penalties for impaired driving, depending on the circumstances include license suspension ranging from three days to lifetime; a seven-day impoundment of the vehicle; fines ranging from $250 to $550; a license reinstatement fee of $281; the installation of an ignition interlock device in your vehicle for six months to ten years; mandatory enrollment in education or treatment programs; and a mandatory medical evaluation to determine if you meet the requirements for driving in Ontario.
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If convicted criminally in court, additional fines and jail time may result.
The maximum legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) across Canada for fully licensed drivers is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, or 0.8.
In Ontario, a warn range of 0.5 to 0.8 can result in consequences as well.
Any driver aged 21 or under, and novice drivers with a G1, G2, M1, or M2 license must not have any alcohol present in their blood, nor any drug detectable by drug screening equipment, while driving.
Motorists are advised to ask their doctor or pharmacist about side effects of prescription medications that may impair your ability to drive.
“Have a plan to get home safely,” Matthews-Osmond said. “Have a designated driver, use public transit, call a taxi or ride-share, or stay overnight. There is never an excuse for impaired driving.”
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