Province’s new laws hike penalties for impaired driving
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/12/2010 (5725 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
THE province is strengthening sanctions against those who drink and drive.
The government introduced legislation Wednesday that would increase the length of short-term suspensions for people who are repeatedly caught driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of between .05 and .08.
Currently, a 24-hour suspension can be imposed for driving with a BAC of .05 per cent or higher, failing a physical co-ordination test and for refusing or being too impaired to comply with a demand for a breath, blood or physical co-ordination test. There is no opportunity to appeal such suspensions.
The proposed changes would see the province adopt tiered, short-term suspensions of 24 hours for a first violation of driving with a BAC of .05 to .08 or failing a physical co-ordination test, 15 days for a second violation, 30 days for a third violation and 60 days for a fourth or subsequent violation.
“We know that the evidence tells us that at .05 somebody’s ability to drive is already impaired,” Attorney General Andrew Swan said Wednesday after introducing the proposed Highway Traffic Act amendments.
Swan said there are about 40 repeat offenders in Manitoba each year who are caught drinking and driving with a BAC of between .05 and .08.
Suspended drivers will be allowed to challenge the grounds for the tiered suspension and apply for a conditional restricted driver’s licence if the suspension is upheld but will result in undue hardship, such as job loss.
The province is also amending the law so it can suspend the motor vehicle driver’s licence of people found guilty of operating a boat, train or plane while impaired.
larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca