Sarnia Police Service conducting a RIDE Program.(Photo by SPS)Sarnia Police Service conducting a RIDE Program.(Photo by SPS)
Sarnia

Stricter impaired driving laws set to take effect

New impaired driving laws will soon reduce the amount of alcohol or marijuana a person can have in their system before getting behind the wheel.

The new Canada-wide laws, set to take effect December 18, will also allow police to administer a mandatory roadside screening test to any driver at any time.

Sarnia police Cst. Shawn Urban said legal blood alcohol content for drivers is going down to 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood.

"It used to be over 80 milligrams. So for example, if someone blew 88 or 89 milligrams of alcohol, they wouldn't get charged with over 80 because we round it down to 80. Now it's going to be the 80 milligrams," said Urban. "With marijuana, it'll be 50 milligrams of alcohol and 2.5 nanograms of THC."

Cst. Urban is also reminding new drivers, drivers under 22 and commercial drivers that they must not have any drugs or alcohol in their system behind the wheel.

In 2016, police reported nearly 70,000 cases of impaired driving across Canada.

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