261/365 (September 17, 2010) – I wonder if this is what the eyes see when one is drunk and in a vehicle in the tunnel. I intend to never find out.
In two days, BC will have the toughest DUI laws in Canada.
From a news story:
“Drivers caught with a blood alcohol reading between .05 and .08 will no longer receive a 24-hour suspension and possible impounding of their vehicle; they’ll now lose their license, and likely their vehicle as well, for three days and be subject to $450 in fines and license reinstatement fees.
If they’re caught again in a five-year period, they’ll be immediately pulled from the road for seven days and find their wallets at least $550 lighter.
A third offence in five years will cost a driver his license and vehicle for 30 days, $650 in fines and fees, and they’ll have to get an ignition interlock device installed on their vehicle for one year following their suspension.
Such a device requires a driver to give a breath sample to even start their car and random samples while they’re driving to ensure they’re driving alcohol free.
If a driver blows more than .08, registering a fail on the breathalyzer, they’ll immediately lose their license for 90 days and their vehicle for 30 days, get whacked with at least $750 in fines and fees, be required to install the ignition interlock device on their vehicle when they do regain their driving privileges, and face possible criminal charges.
It won’t take much alcohol for these new levels of enforcement to kick in; according to the University of Oklahoma Police Department’s online Blood Alcohol Calculator, a 180 pound male who’s consumed one pint of Canadian beer in less than an hour will blow a blood alcohol content of .06.
That means that quick drink on the way home from work, or after the game, could land you in a world of hurt.”
It’s certainly something to consider since so many of us have a drink with dinner and then drive home. Be thinking really hard about that practice now… the Police could certainly make a killing in ticket handouts by sitting outside any pub or restaurant.
Between this and the new speeding laws I’m left wondering where the police are going to park all the vehicles they could potentially be impounding.
7 comments
If they save lives then they are worth it…….
If they save lives then they are worth it…….
That’s pretty tame compared with most European DUI laws – any infringement in the UK results in at least a 12 month ban and most probably a lot longer – plus the insurance companies will make it almost impossible for an offender to get cover………
I took a look at your laws, very stringent indeed, we may get there yet. With bicycles, transit, cabs, other (sober) drivers, there really isn’t a reason to get into a car and drive when over a limit. I see that your legal system is considering taking the blood alcohol limit down to what ours just dropped to, 0.05. North America is a much bigger “car culture” than most places in the world, we are so attached to our gas guzzling vehicles. It was strange to see so few trucks when we had our whirlwind tour of your neck-of-the-woods. Mostly smaller cars. The propensity for driving big machines (big cars, big trucks, Hummers etc) here makes dangerous driving all that more dangerous for those not in the offending vehicle. Maybe if our fuel prices climbed up to where they should be in relation to the rest of the world things might get a bit more sane over here.
Agreed!
Agreed!
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