Break The Law, Pay The Price
Ontario has cracked down on some of the worst offenders on our roads – drinking drivers and drivers suspended for Criminal Code convictions*.
These drivers put others at risk and must be held accountable and responsible for their actions.
Ontario leads the way in combating drinking and driving through some of the toughest laws and programs in North America, including:
- immediate licence suspension;
- stiff fines;
- longer suspension periods
- mandatory alcohol education and treatment;
- vehicle impoundment;
- Ignition Interlock program
Drinking and driving is a serious problem. In Ontario, impaired drivers are involved in thousands of traffic collisions every year. About one quarter of collisions resulting in fatalities on Ontario’s roads involve drinking drivers. Drinking and driving hurts us all - through deaths, injuries and personal tragedies, in addition to costs for health care, emergency response and property damage.
Every year, about 35,000 drivers are under suspension for Criminal Code convictions in Ontario. It is estimated that approximately three quarters of those convictions are related to drinking and driving.
*In addition to drinking and driving, Criminal Code convictions include criminal negligence causing bodily harm or death, manslaughter, dangerous driving and failure to remain at the scene of a collision.
Impaired Driving Consequences
Immediate Licence Suspension
Drivers who provide a sample over the legal limit (.08) or refuse a breath test will have their driver's licence suspended immediately for 90 days under Ontario's Administrative
Driver's Licence Suspension (ADLS) Program. And, as part of the Government's Safer Roads for a Safer Ontario Act, 2007, all drivers who receive an ADLS on or after June 15th, 2007, will be required to pay a $150 Administrative Monetary Penalty, prior to reinstatement. The penalty can be paid in person at any Driver and Vehicle Licence Issuing Office. Drivers may also pay by mail by sending a cheque or money order (made payable to the Minister of Finance) to the Ministry of Transportation, P.O. Box 9100, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 5K3. When paying by mail, delivery and payment processing must be considered to avoid the cancellation of the driver’s licence. This 90-day suspension is separate and distinct from any criminal charges a driver faces in court.
Consequences of Conviction
In addition to the monetary costs facing convicted drinking drivers the following penalties apply: An impaired driving conviction under the Criminal Code results in a suspension under the Highway Traffic Act and a driving prohibition under the Criminal Code. The following chart shows the minimum penalties and consequences.
| Consequences under the Highway Traffic Act |
Minimum Penalties under the Criminal Code |
|
|---|---|---|
| First Offence |
|
|
| Second Offence |
|
|
| Third Offence |
|
|
| Fourth and Subsequent Offence |
|
|
* Drivers who are caught driving while their licence is suspended for a Criminal Code conviction will have the vehicle they are driving impounded and face fines from $5,000 - $50,000.
Zero Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) for New Drivers
Drivers in the Graduated Licensing System must maintain a zero BAC while driving. If they breach this condition, they face a 30-day licence suspension and must pay a fine.
Lose it for Life
Longer
Suspension Periods for Repeat Offenders
Drivers who offend and are convicted of Criminal Code driving related offences, lose their driving privileges for:
- One year on a first conviction;
- Three years on a second conviction;
- Life on a third conviction, which may be reduced to 10 years if certain conditions are met; and
- Life on a fourth conviction with no possibility of ever having an Ontario driver’s licence again.
In addition, driving-related Criminal Code convictions remain on a driver’s record. Drivers must be conviction free for 10 years before they will be considered to have a clean driving record. This applies to convictions since September 30, 1993.
Stiff Fines for Driving Under Suspension
Drivers who are convicted of driving while their licence is suspended for a Criminal Code conviction face high fines under the Highway Traffic Act:
- $5,000 - $25,000 for a first conviction
- $10,000 - $50,000 for subsequent convictions
Vehicle Impoundment
Under Ontario’s Vehicle Impoundment Program, drivers who are caught
driving while their licence is suspended for a Criminal Code conviction
will have the vehicle they are driving impounded for a minimum of 45 days.
Regardless of whether the vehicle is rented, leased or loaned to a friend or family member, the vehicle will be impounded. The vehicle owner will be liable for all towing and impoundment costs.
Be Responsible
Vehicle owners are responsible for taking all reasonable steps to ensure that every person who drives their vehicle has a valid driver’s licence. This includes making sure the driver does not have an ignition interlock condition on their licence.
- Call 1-900-565-6555 ($2.50 per cheque applied to phone bill)
- Access Ministry Online Services ($2.00 per cheque payable by Visa or MasterCard)
- Obtain a driver's abstract at a Driver and Vehicle Issuing Office ($12.00 per abstract) or ServiceOntario Kiosk ($13.00 per abstract).
Mandatory Alcohol Education and Treatment Program
Drinking drivers are required to take more responsibility for their actions. They have to get their drinking problem under control if they want their licence back.
Convicted drinking drivers must successfully complete all three components of Ontario’s back on track alcohol education and treatment program before their licence can be reinstated.
back on track
Participants pay $475 (plus GST) to cover the cost of the program and should register immediately upon conviction as the program can take 11 months to complete. The three components of the program are:
Assessment: Determines the extent of the drinking and driving problem and whether an education or treatment program is most appropriate.
Education or Treatment Program: Driver must successfully complete the appropriate program aimed at preventing drinking and driving. These programs focus on how alcohol affects driving performance, the consequences of impaired driving and ways to avoid drinking and driving.
Follow-up Interview: Takes place six months after the completion of the education or treatment program to revisit the skills obtained and goals set.
Drivers who fail to complete all three components of the back on track program before the end of their suspension period will not get their licence back until they complete the program and satisfy all other requirements for licence reinstatement.
Ignition Interlock
Ontario’s tool
to prevent drinking and driving
An ignition interlock is an in-car alcohol breath screening device that prevents a vehicle from starting if it detects alcohol on the breath of the operator.
Anyone convicted of an impaired driving offence committed on or after December 23, 2001 is subject to Ontario’s Ignition Interlock Program.
After serving the current provincial sanctions, those eligible to have their driver’s licence reinstated will have an "I" condition placed on their Ontario driver’s licence for at least one year, with longer terms for repeat offenders. This condition requires any vehicle they drive be equipped with an approved ignition interlock device.
Drivers who choose not to install a device must not drive until the condition is removed from their licence.
Drivers subject to an ignition interlock condition are responsible for all installation and maintenance costs for the device.
For installation information
and costs, please call:
Guardian Interlock Systems
Once drivers complete their minimum interlock period without any program violations, they must apply to the Ministry of Transportation to have the condition removed.
Vehicle owners should be aware that if they knowingly allow a person with an interlock condition to drive their vehicle, they will be subject to penalties under the Highway Traffic Act.
Verify a valid driver's licence through the Ministry of Transportation
You Pay The Price
Drinking and
Driving is an Expensive Gamble
A convicted offender faces the following costs, at a minimum:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Legal Costs (estimated range) | |
| Criminal Code fine | $600 |
| back on track program | $475 |
| Administrative Monetary Penalty for licence reinstatement |
$150 |
| Increased insurance ($4,500 extra per year for 3 yrs) |
(estimate) $13,500 |
| Ignition Interlock | $1,300 |
| Total Minimum Cost* (plus applicable taxes on some items) |
$18,025 |
Actual costs may be higher
* Other potential
costs include property damage, loss of employment income and uninsured medical
costs.
For more information contact
TTY: 1-866-471-8929 or
905-704-2426
Or click on Road Safety:
Impaired Driving.
