Drug driving fines

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While drinking and distracted driving are consistently blamed for causing fatal crashes, drivers under the influence of drugs play in to more crashes than you may think. Wednesday it was announced that police across the province will be given more power to make sure that those who choose to drive while impaired by drugs don’t stay on the road for long.

According to Ontario’s chief coroner, in 2013 nearly 40% of fatal crashes involved drugs or a combination of drugs and alcohol. Today, the Liberals beefed up penalties in hopes of convincing drug-impaired drivers to find another way around. With the rules in place right now an officer cannot suspend your licence on the spot if you were operating the vehicle while under the influence of a prescription or illicit drug, but as of Sunday they can.

“We also now have additional powers to issue immediate suspensions so not the suspensions that occur upon convictions but suspensions that we can lay right on the roadside, right in the station so we can get that person off the road.” Sgt. Ryan Snow, Halton Police.

Also new, the suspensions add up the more you’re found driving while on drugs, from 7 to 10 to 30 days. As of now, there isn’t a tool like a breathalyser to find out if a driver is high. Instead, specifically trained officers take you through cognitive and physical tests.

Hamilton police say a criminal charge of driving while under the influence of a drug will result in a $1000 fine and a one year licence suspension, when that year is up, it’ll cost you $180 to get it back.