Immediate Roadside Sanctions for Impaired Driving having a Positive Impact

Immediate Roadside Sanctions for Impaired Driving having a Positive Impact

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

Changes to Alberta’s new drinking and driving law are making a positive impact since they came into effect nearly four months ago.

Cst. Jason Lappa of the Vegreville RCMP Detachment states that, “Since its inception there have been over 1,800 Immediate Roadside Sanctions, (IRS) and over 900 Suspended Driver Sanctions in Alberta between all law enforcement agencies.

Regarding the Vegreville detachment, we have generated Immediate Roadside Sanctions along with Criminal Impaired charges since December and it appears to be going well as an added Impaired Driving option/tool for the local Vegreville officers.

This new provincial sanction allows law enforcement to have the options required to best deal with all impaired drivers, although our hope is that drivers will make good decisions and not drive while impaired as our ultimate goal is to keep highways/roads safe for all drivers and passengers.” He went on to say, “The Provincial Sanctions have been used by other Provinces, in some cases for years and has proven to be a very useful and successful option that has increased the total impaired drivers taken off the road overall and allows officers to better utilize their time from a proactive approach.

Having the Provincial Impaired Sanctions option allows the Police and Judicial system to alleviate time normally taken up by Criminal charge Impaired Investigations that sometimes are not put before the court for a year or longer due to various reasons increasing the overall Court trial loads.

Cst. Jason Lappa with the Vegreville RCMP Detachment.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)

The Provincial Sanctions allows the Impaired driver to be given all required documents roadside and an appeal process is available through the Provincial adjudicators, taking some of the court trial load off the Judicial system and allowing police officers to spend more time on the road and less time in court.

The driver still has their vehicle towed and impounded for 30 days, licence suspended for 90 days along with fines, and ignition interlock for 12 months once their licence is reinstated, but they don’t have to deal with a possible criminal record.

Criminal code Investigations for Impaired driving still happen, but it’s based on criteria of specific elements being involved, including Impaired driving causing death, injuries or a habitual impaired driver with history of Impaired charges and\or convictions.”

Some of the consequences for impaired drivers include:

• new fines up to $2,000

• increased length of vehicle seizure up to 30 days for certain offences

• new mandatory education programs for repeat offenders

• increased driver’s licence suspensions for repeat offenders

• expanded mandatory ignition interlock for repeat offenders

The online ticket dispute system allows Albertans to pay, request more time to pay, or dispute a ticket. It also frees up courts and police to focus on the most serious matters. It is enshrined into law that commercial drivers must have zero blood alcohol and drug concentrations on the job.

Bill 21, the Provincial Administrative Penalties Act is part of a larger Justice Transformation Initiative that will be implemented in three phases. Phase 1 included the creation of an adjudication branch with a mandate to resolve impaired drivingrelated contraventions of the Traffic Safety Act.

Phase 2 will expand the jurisdiction of the adjudication branch to address all other contraventions of the Traffic Safety Act, except those that result in bodily harm or death by the end of 2021.

Phase 3 will expand the administrative adjudication process such that it could be adopted and adapted for use by any regulated area of provincial jurisdiction. The timeline for Phase 3 diversion will be determined upon the conclusion of Phase 2.