I'll preface this by saying I don't drink and drive, my license is my trade, but Ontario has gone crazy with its approach to Impaired Driving.
Their new drunk driving laws are absolutely ridiculous.
First of all a first time offender is now required to have an ignition interlock system in their vehicle. Now I know this may seem absolutely acceptable to some, but think of a young person who makes that mistake. First off they pay a heavy fine, (completely acceptable), second they face a suspension of up to a year, (completely acceptable) and now Ontario has ratcheted that up by stating that they must have an ignition interlock system in their vehicle for up to a year. Or they can't drive.
While I am not advocate of drinking and driving and fully support punishing those that break that law I think the Ontario Government has overstepped its authority by introducing provincial laws that skirt Federal Laws regarding drinking and driving. For example. The minimum alcohol blood content is .08, but in Ontario they can suspend your license for 30 days, impound your car and contact your insurance company without any due process if your register between .05 and .08.
A blood alcohol level of .05 is not illegal, they just made this crap up. Guess who benefits from this new law? The insurance companies. Now they can raise your rates without you even seeing the inside of a court room to prove or disprove whether or not you were impaired to begin with.
To sweeten the pot they have added a new twist to their .05 to .08 30 Day suspension. Now they can mandate someone who has had three of these non impaired non convicted suspensions to have an interlock system put into their car. No due process required. Guess who benefits from this.
If it sounds like I'm b!tching about nothing, then stop and think about what I am saying here. It isn't illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level of .06, but in Ontario they can impound your car and call your insurance company.
My anger over this is the fact that we are now allowing a provincial government to screw around with existing laws without Federal consultation. If they want the blood alcohol lowered to .05 they should lower it. Doesn't anyone else find this over the top.
Their new drunk driving laws are absolutely ridiculous.
First of all a first time offender is now required to have an ignition interlock system in their vehicle. Now I know this may seem absolutely acceptable to some, but think of a young person who makes that mistake. First off they pay a heavy fine, (completely acceptable), second they face a suspension of up to a year, (completely acceptable) and now Ontario has ratcheted that up by stating that they must have an ignition interlock system in their vehicle for up to a year. Or they can't drive.
While I am not advocate of drinking and driving and fully support punishing those that break that law I think the Ontario Government has overstepped its authority by introducing provincial laws that skirt Federal Laws regarding drinking and driving. For example. The minimum alcohol blood content is .08, but in Ontario they can suspend your license for 30 days, impound your car and contact your insurance company without any due process if your register between .05 and .08.
A blood alcohol level of .05 is not illegal, they just made this crap up. Guess who benefits from this new law? The insurance companies. Now they can raise your rates without you even seeing the inside of a court room to prove or disprove whether or not you were impaired to begin with.
To sweeten the pot they have added a new twist to their .05 to .08 30 Day suspension. Now they can mandate someone who has had three of these non impaired non convicted suspensions to have an interlock system put into their car. No due process required. Guess who benefits from this.
If it sounds like I'm b!tching about nothing, then stop and think about what I am saying here. It isn't illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level of .06, but in Ontario they can impound your car and call your insurance company.
My anger over this is the fact that we are now allowing a provincial government to screw around with existing laws without Federal consultation. If they want the blood alcohol lowered to .05 they should lower it. Doesn't anyone else find this over the top.