Impaired driving imposes enormous costs on our society. Families, health care, the legal system, insurance companies and the general public all pay the price for impaired drivers.

In this section you will find useful information on the consequences of impaired driving, interventions that impaired drivers can face, and useful educational material.

Legal Impact
Drivers who choose to drink and drive face not only killing themselves or someone else, but also face severe legal and other consequences. This section deals with the realities of drinking and driving from a legal standpoint. Here you will find useful information on the penalties for impaired driving and other related issues.

Interventions
Drivers convicted of impaired driving are subject to harsh fines and suspensions from driving. Problem drivers may also face special interventions.

This section describes the role of the Transportation Safety Board and the Ignition Interlock Program in dealing with problem or repeat offenders.

Education
Education is one of the keys to reducing the incidence of impaired driving on our roads.

In this section, you will find useful information, facts on impaired driving, designated drivers and how to be a conscientious host.

Provincial Impaired Driving Committee
Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation through the Traffic Safety Initiative and the Provincial Impaired Driving Committee is using collective strengths, talents and resources to reduce the incidence of drinking and driving in Alberta.

Awareness and education are the foundations for virtually eliminating impaired driving in Alberta. However, legislation and enforcement are also key considerations for those who continue to drink and drive.

Those involved in combating the impaired driving problem in Alberta uniformly state that their success can be measured on the saving of even one life.

As a strong united front, the work of the Provincial Impaired Driving Committee is sending a message that drunk driving will not be tolerated in Alberta.

Established in April 1997, the Provincial Impaired Driving Committee is a partnership - members are developing new strategies to combat a problem that threatens the safety of everyone travelling on Alberta's roadways. The group was formed to look at improved means for both preventing and enforcing impaired driving by:

1. Developing and distributing awareness and education programs, including support materials to various target audiences throughout the province.
2. Identifying provincial programs that support both education and enforcement. The group is focusing on integrating province-wide, three proven anti-impaired driving programs: Checkstop, Operation Lookout/Traffic Project Watch and Designated Driver.
3. Developing implementation strategies for tougher impaired driving penalties and legislation.

The Committee has played a key role in the rollout of two impaired driving legislative changes: the Alberta Administrative Licence Suspension Program (AALS) and expanding the impaired driving window to 10 years from the existing five years. The Committee members were also instrumental in the development of the AALS training package for enforcement members and providing input to the "When Choices Collide" impaired driving educational package.

Membership includes Alberta Solicitor General, Alberta Justice, Alberta Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Alberta Health and Wellness, the RCMP, municipal police services, MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), SADD Alberta (Students Against Drinking and Driving), the Alberta Motor Association, Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, Insurance Bureau of Canada, Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research, Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission, and Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation's Traffic Safety Initiative.

For further information, contact:

Updated November 28, 2006