e-4710 (Justice)

Our Government is committed to ensuring the safety of the roads and highways, and condemns impaired driving in the strongest terms. One life lost to impaired driving is one too many. That is why our Government is very proud to have delivered on one of our key promises to Canadians to strengthen laws to punish more severely those who drive while impaired by alcohol and drugs through former Bill C-46. We also strengthened law enforcement’s ability to detect drug-impaired drivers by authorizing the use of roadside oral fluid screening devices, effectively equipping law enforcement with the tools, technology and the resources they need to combat impaired driving of all types. Furthermore, the Criminal Code includes very serious penalties for criminal driving offences and the Government is confident that they provide courts with the ability to impose appropriate penalties in dangerous and impaired driving cases. For example, impaired driving or dangerous operation of a vehicle are punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and impaired driving or dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death by a maximum of life imprisonment.

With respect to driving prohibitions, the Criminal Code currently provides that a prohibition order comes into force when it is made (subsection 320.24(5.1)) and where an offender is given a custodial sentence and a driving prohibition, the driving prohibition will be in force for (a) the length of the driving prohibition order, plus (b) the entire time for which they are sentenced to prison. As such, the Criminal Code operates to ensure the length of any driving prohibition will apply for the amount of time that has been ordered when the individual is released from prison.