���߲ݴ�ý

Ontario also requires anyone convicted of impaired driving to install an ignition interlock device in their vehicle and undergo mandatory remedial education and treatment for first and second-time alcohol and drug-related offences respectively.

The changes, , also increase the first and second-time roadside licence suspensions from three and seven days to seven and 14 days, respectively.

Steve Sullivan, CEO of MADD Canada, endorsed the new penalties when they were announced last May.

“Mothers Against Drunk Driving commends the Ontario government for taking steps to make roads safer and hold impaired drivers accountable,” Sullivan said in a news release at the time. “Despite progress, too many people are still making the choice to drive impaired, and we need to ensure sanctions hold drivers accountable while focusing on reducing recidivism.”

The latest available figures from the Ontario Provincial Police show an upward trend in impaired driving charges from 2021 to 2023.

The OPP laid more than 9,500 charges in 2021. The figure rose to 10,228 in 2022 and it topped 11,000 in 2023.

Figures released by the provincial Transportation Ministry last May indicate one in three roadway fatalities involves impaired driving. A 2022 roadside survey found that one in five drivers tested positive for drugs, alcohol, or both.

The percentage of drivers killed while under the influence of cannabis more than doubled between 2012 and 2020.

The provincial government has pledged to provide additional tools and training to help police officers detect drug-impaired driving. A provincewide campaign will also highlight the dangers of drug-impaired driving, with a focus on cannabis and young drivers.

While announcing the new rules last year, Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said the tougher penalties are aimed at stopping fatalities.

“Everyone deserves to return home to their loved ones safely at the end of the day,” Sarkaria said at the time. “Too many families in Ontario have had their lives torn apart by the careless and shameful actions of impaired drivers.”