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McGuinty Government Reminds Ontarians To Always Drive Sober
TORONTO, Dec. 23 /CNW/ -
NEWS
If you plan to drink this holiday season, plan ahead for a safe ride
home: take public transit, stay overnight, call a cab or ride with a
designated driver.
About one quarter of all fatalities on Ontario roads are alcohol-related.
That is why Ontario has some of the toughest penalties in North America. These
include:
<<
- Immediate 90-day driver's licence suspension
- Mandatory remedial alcohol education and treatment programs
(http://webx.newswire.ca/click/?id=ae4cd14ef571557)
- Ignition interlock
(http://webx.newswire.ca/click/?id=ac6ba8e3de9ce95)
to prevent the car from starting if a convicted drunk driver has had
a drink.
>>
These penalties will get even tougher on May 1, 2009. Drivers with a
blood alcohol concentration of 0.05 to 0.08 (the "warn" range) will have their
licence suspended for three days for the first instance, seven days for the
next and 30 days for the third and subsequent instances. The current penalty
for driving in the "warn" range is a 12-hour driver's licence suspension.
QUOTES
"Even one drink can affect your driving - it is just not worth the risk
to get behind the wheel if you have been drinking," said Transportation
Minister Jim Bradley (http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/about/minister.shtml).
"Planning a safe ride home for yourself, your family and your guests is
an integral part of holiday celebrations," said Ontario Community Council on
Impaired Driving (http://www.occid.org/) President Shelley Timms, "Thanks to
all the designated drivers this holiday season and to everyone who drives
sober."
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QUICK FACTS
- You don't need to have a 0.08 blood alcohol concentration to be
impaired. Research shows that drivers whose blood alcohol
concentration is 0.05 to 0.08 are about seven times more likely to be
involved in a fatal collision than someone who has not been drinking.
- In 2005, drinking and driving collisions claimed 174 lives in
Ontario. That year, one of every six fatally-injured drinking drivers
had a blood alcohol concentration of less than 0.08.
>>
LEARN MORE
Hosting a holiday party? Plan a safe ride home for your guests by
following these home hosting tips
(http://www.occid.org/arrivealive/homehosting.html).
Need a lift? Take public transit, stay overnight, find a designated
driver or be one. In many communities across the province, Operation Red Nose
(http://www.operationnezrouge.com/en/)volunteers can give you a ride home.
Read Break the Law, Pay the Price
(http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/impaired/breaklaw/breaklaw.shtml) for
more information about drinking and driving sanctions in Ontario.
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Disponible en français
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For further information: Nicole Lippa-Gasparro, Minister's Office, (416) 327-1815; Bob Nichols, Communications Branch, (416) 327-1158
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