Drivers caught with a blood alcohol level over and just under the legal limit will face tough new sanctions under proposed legislation introduced Monday.
Transportation minister Ray Danyluk said the government is hoping the new rules will force Albertans to think differently about getting behind the wheel after drinking.
"This is a very thoughtful made-in-Alberta approach. This is not a blanket solution, it is designed to change people's behaviours."
The legal limit of 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, or 0.08, is the current threshold for criminal charges and that won't change under the proposed legislation.
Drivers caught over the legal limit would face an automatic license suspension and have their vehicle seized for three days. That would rise to seven days on a second and third infraction.
Drivers would have to take a remedial course on their second conviction and a longer course if they were convicted a third time.
The province would also require convicted drivers to be enrolled in the ignition interlock program. The program installs special breathalyser equipment into a vehicle, preventing the car from starting if the driver doesn't provide a clean sample.
The first conviction would require a yearlong enrolment in the program, rising to three years on a second conviction and five for a third.
Drivers in the interlock program pay $200 for the installation and removal of the device, plus a monthly rental fee of $105, according to the government's website.
The remedial course a driver would have to take after their second conviction costs $220 and the course they would take after a third conviction would cost $750.
Lower threshold
The government also plans new suspensions for drivers caught with an alcohol limit between 0.05 and 0.08. Drivers caught within that range the first time would face a three-day suspension and three-day vehicle seizure, rising to a 15-day suspension and seven-day seizure on the second offence and 30-day suspension and seven-day seizure on a third offence.
Police officers are already empowered to issue 24-hour suspensions if they believe a driver is impaired, regardless of a blood alcohol reading, and that will continue.
Solicitor General Jonathan Dennis said the 24-hour suspensions simply don't drive home the message about impaired driving.
"The current legislation allows for a 24-hour suspension, but a person could get a suspension on Monday, on Wednesday and on Friday and nothing more happens to them."
Cpl. Don Murray, head of the St. Albert traffic section was unavailable after the bill was introduced, but commenting on some of the details that emerged last week, he said he would welcome any changes to reduce impaired driving.
"My advice to anybody is, if you know you are going to be driving, why would you have anything to drink at all."
He said the detachment encounters many drivers who are impaired, but not over the legal limit.
Opposition concerned
Opposition leaders were not warm to the bill when the government gave an overview of the proposal last week.
Wildrose MLA Rob Anderson said the proposed legislation is targeting the wrong people and the government should focus on the people who cause the real damage at two and three times the legal limit.
"I don't understand why they are trying to solve a very serious problem by going after the people who aren't causing the deaths and aren't causing the maiming on our city streets."
He said cracking down on impaired driving is a worthy goal, but this is not the way to do it. He said the Wildrose favours increasing Checkstops across the province so more impaired drivers are caught.
"I don't think I have been through a Checkstop literally in the last decade in this province."
Speaking last week, NDP leader Brian Mason also said the proposal was missing the point.
"I think the government is barking up the wrong tree, it's not the people who have had one glass of wine who are killing people out there."
