Brantford Police Service Reminds of the Dangers of Impaired Driving
Over this past weekend, several incidents occurred resulting in a number of impaired by alcohol and drug charges to be laid. As a result of these incidents, Brantford Police Service feels the need to remind the public of the dangers of impaired driving.
Impaired driving means operating a vehicle (including cars, trucks, boats, snowmobiles and off-road vehicles) while your ability to do so has been compromised to any degree by consuming alcohol, drugs or a combination of the two. Impaired driving is a very serious offence that endangers the lives and safety of everyone on our roads.
Alcohol — even one drink — can reduce your ability to react to things that happen suddenly. The effects of alcohol also include blurred or double vision, impaired attention and slowed reflexes. Impaired driving is one of the leading causes of death on Ontario’s roads.
Brantford Police Service would also like to remind drivers that both prescription and non-prescription drugs are an impairment while driving.
Penalties for Impaired Driving
If police determine that you are driving while impaired by alcohol or any drug, including cannabis, illegal drugs, prescription and over-the-counter medications, you will face severe penalties as well as potential criminal charges if convicted in court.
The penalties vary depending on the driver’s age, licence type, the amount of alcohol or drugs in your system, and the number of times you have been convicted.
Impaired drivers will face the following penalties (depending on circumstances):
- Licence Suspension (3 days to lifetime)
- Vehicle Impoundment (7 days)
- Financial Penalties Payable ($250 to $550)
- Licence Reinstatement Fee ($281)
- An ignition interlock device may be required (6 months to 10 years)
- Attendance of mandatory education or treatment program(s)
- A mandatory medical evaluation to determine whether you meet the requirements for driving in Ontario
If convicted criminally of impaired driving in court, driver’s can also face additional fines and jail time.
Throughout Canada, the maximum legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for fully licensed drivers is to be under 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, or 0.08. Driving with a BAC of 0.08 or over is a criminal offence and the penalties are severe.
In Ontario, you will also face serious consequences if your BAC is between 0.05 and 0.08. This is commonly referred to as the "warn range.”
Drivers age 21 or under and novice drivers of any age (with G1, G2, M1, or M2 licenses) must not have any presence of alcohol in their blood when behind the wheel. This is commonly referred to as the "zero BAC” or "zero tolerance” rule.
Young and novice drivers are also prohibited from having any presence of cannabis in their system as well as other drugs that can be detected using approved drug screening equipment. Ontario has a zero tolerance approach to both alcohol and drugs for all young and novice drivers.
Don’t Do It - Avoid Driving Impaired
Have a plan to get home safely. Have a designated driver, use public transit, call a friend or family member for a ride, call a taxi or ride share, or stay overnight.
There are simple steps you can take to stay safe and avoid driving while you are impaired by drugs or alcohol:
- Have a plan to get home safely. Have a designated driver, use public transit, call a friend or family member for a ride, call a taxi or ride share, or stay overnight.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist about side effects related to driving when using prescription medication.
- Read the information on the package of any prescription drugs or over-the-counter medicine, including allergy and cold remedies.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist about how a prescription drug could affect you. Remember that combining drugs and alcohol together can impair your ability to drive more than using either one alone.
Crime Brief Summary for Impaired Driving Offences July 17 – 19, 2020
Date: Friday, July 17, 2020
Incident #: 20-27227 Impaired - Alcohol
Location: Oxford and Palm Crescent
On Friday, July 17, 2020 at approximately 1:45 a.m., Brantford Police responded to a call at the intersection of Oxford Street and Palm Crescent. A concerned citizen had advised police that her vehicle had nearly been struck by a pick up truck towing an excavator. The citizen then witnessed the pick up truck being driven erratically, failing to stop at several stop signs. Community Patrol Officers attended to the area where the vehicle was located and a traffic stop was conducted. When speaking to the driver, officers observed signs of impairment and the accused was transported in order to provide a sample of his breath as required by law. The samples of the accused were 2x over the legal limit.
As a result of the investigation, a 33 year old male from Brantford has been charged with the following offences under the Criminal Code of Canada:
•Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle
•Impaired Operation – plus 80
•Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle
The accused also received a notice of license suspension and his vehicle was impounded for 11 days.
Date: Friday, July 17, 2020
Incident #: 20-27271 Impaired - Alcohol
Location: King George Rd. and Fairview Dr.
On Friday, July 17, 2020 at approximately 8:00 p.m. Brantford Police responded to a call to report a possible impaired driver in a parking lot located near the intersection of King George Road, Fairview Road and Tollgate Road. Information was received that there was a male driver who appeared to be stumbling and consuming alcohol within his vehicle. Community Patrol Officers attended to the area where the suspect vehicle and driver was located. When speaking to the driver, officers observed obvious signs of impairment and open alcohol in the vehicle. The accused was arrested and transported in order to provide a sample of his breath as required by law. The samples of the accused were 3x over the legal limit.
As a result of the investigation, a 48 year old male from Lynden has been charged with the following offences under the Criminal Code of Canada:
- Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle
- Impaired Operation – plus 80
The accused was also charged with having care and control of a motor vehicle with unsealed liquor under the Liquor License Act. The accused also received a notice of license suspension and his vehicle was impounded for 7 days.
Date: Saturday, July 18, 2020
Incident #: 20-27353 Impaired - Alcohol
Location: Brant Ave. and St. James St.
On Saturday, July 18, 2020 at approximately 11:45 a.m. the Brantford Police Service was advised of a possible impaired driver as a vehicle was observed to be fluctuating in speed, swerving on the roadway, nearly striking a guardrail. The suspect vehicle was travelling on Highway 24 heading into the City of Brantford. Officers located the suspect vehicle travelling southbound on Brant Ave and subsequently conducted a traffic stop at Brant Ave and St James Street.
When speaking to the driver, officers observed signs of impairment. The accused was transported in order to provide a sample of his breath as required by law.
The samples of the accused were 3x over the legal limit.
As a result of the investigation, a 36 year old male from Kitchener has been charged with the following:
- Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle
- Impaired Operation – plus 80
The accused also received a notice of license suspension and his vehicle was impounded for 7 days.
Date: Sunday, July 19, 2020
Incident #: 20-27469 Impaired - Alcohol
Location: Dalhousie St. and Clarence St.
On Sunday, July 19, 2020 at approximately 3:00 a.m. a Community Patrol Officer was parked on the north side of Dalhousie Street near Clarence with the four way hazard signals activated when the officer observed a vehicle travelling westbound on Dalhousie travelling at high rate of speed.
The suspect vehicle proceeded directly behind the police vehicle, coming to a complete stop. The vehicle then proceeded to strike the rear of the police vehicle, and proceed west bound on Dalhousie Street for a short distance. Officers conducted a traffic stop where obvious signs of impairment were observed. The suspect was arrested and transported to provide a breath sample as required by law. The suspect refused to provide the required breath sample.
As a result of the investigation, a 26 year old male from Brantford has been charged with the following:
- Refusal to comply with demand
- Impaired Operation of a Motor vehicle
The accused also received a notice of license suspension and his vehicle was impounded for 7 days.
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