Drinking and Driving in Alberta
Alberta's impaired driving law is about one thing: keeping families safe.
We're strengthening our approach.
- Responsible Albertans can have a drink with dinner or friends.
- Repeat offenders will be targeted. So will Criminal Code offences and new drivers.
- Not included — fines and demerit points offenses.
- The focus is on changing behaviours through mandatory courses and ignition interlock.
- Education and enforcement are key.
Key Changes
Use this chart to understand changes to the law.
» What is the law in Alberta? PDF - November 17, 2011
Drivers with blood alcohol over .08
Previously
Alberta had license suspensions, but not vehicle seizures for drivers above .08.
Under the new law
Immediate license suspensions are sustained until the criminal charge is resolved.
Mandatory ignition interlock is installed after criminal conviction (over .08)
- 1st offence
- Sustained licence suspension
- 3-day vehicle seizure
- 1-year mandatory ignition interlock
- 2nd offence
- Sustained licence suspension
- 7-day vehicle seizure
- 3-year mandatory ignition interlock.
- 3rd offence
- Sustained licence suspension
- 7-day vehicle seizure
- 5-year mandatory ignition interlock
Drivers with blood alcohol between .05 & .08
Under the new law
Increasing sanctions against drivers suspected to be impaired are included in the new law. These drivers are not and will not be subject to Criminal Code prosecutions.
- 1st offence
- 3-day licence suspension
- 3-day vehicle seizure
- 2nd offence
- 15-day licence suspension
- 7-day vehicle seizure
- "Planning Ahead" course
- 3rd offence
- 30-day licence suspension
- 7-day vehicle seizure
- "Impact" course
New drivers
Under the new law
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL)still begins at age 14. All GDL drivers are already subject to zero tolerance for blood alcohol and receive a 30-day suspension.
- GDL drivers found with blood alcohol
- 30-day licence suspension
- 7-day vehicle seizure
Deaths
22% of drivers involved in fatal collisions have consumed some alcohol.
Alberta Traffic Collision Information System
Last Year Alone...
96 deaths and 1,384 injuries occurred in alcohol-related collisions in 2010.
Alberta Traffic Collision Information System
Court Time
Impaired driving charges take up an estimated 40% of all trial time of Crown Prosecutors in Alberta's courts.
Alberta Justice and
Attorney General
Other Jurisdictions
8 jurisdictions have alreday passed laws imposing tougher sanctions for drivers with blood alcohol between .05 and .08. Saskatchewan starts at .04.
Every Canadian jurisdiction (except Quebec) already gives at least 24-hour roadside suspensions to drivers suspected of being impaired or having .05 to .08 blood alcohol.
Our Current Situation
Drinking and driving imposes enormous costs on our society. The true cost of drinking and driving is the victims.
Alcohol-related collisions from 2006-2010 in Alberta
- Killed 569 people
- Injured 8,530 people
- 96 died and 1,384 were injured in 2010 alone.
Alcohol-Related Casualty Collisions in Alberta
- Severity of the collision increases with the likelihood an impaired driver was involved.
- 1 in 5 drivers involved in fatal collisions in Alberta had been drinking first. Compare that to an average of about 1 in 20 drivers involved in injury collisions.
- Males between 18 and 24 are most likely to have been drinking before a collision. Male drivers are more likely to have consumed alcohol before a collision than female drivers.
- The highest number of alcohol-related collisions happen between May and October.
- Most casualty collisions involving alcohol happen on weekends.
- 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. is the most likely time for casualty collisions involving alcohol to happen.
- Long weekends are often associated with drinking and driving collisions.
Administrative Suspensions for Drinking and Driving Since 2006
- 42,762 immediate 24-hour suspensions
- 6,123 Alberta Zero Alcohol Tolerance (AZAT) suspensions
- 34,852 Alberta Administrative Licence Suspensions (AALS)
