N.B. hopes ignition locks will cut rate of impaired driving
Canadian Press
September 24, 2008

MONCTON - The road has been cleared for the arrival of an ignition interlock program in the New Brunswick that officials hope will cut down on the number of impaired drivers who re-offend.

The Liberal government's cabinet has approved regulations surrounding a program for so-called "blow-and-go" devices that require drivers to prove their sobriety in order to start and continue driving their vehicle.

Legislation allowing for the use of the program, which has become widely used in many Canadian provinces, had already passed through the legislature.

The Department of Public Safety has secured a supplier who will provide the equipment, according to spokeswoman Chrystiane Mallaley.

"Those convicted of drinking and driving offences as of Sept 21. can participate in the program with the permission of the court," said Mallalley.

However, officials will not begin physically installing the devices in vehicles for at least another three months because their use cannot be approved retroactively by a court.
That means that only individuals who are convicted of impaired driving after Sept. 21 can opt into the program.

Once an individual is cleared to participate in the program, they must go three months without the right to drive at all. Then, under the program, a driver with a single conviction with a one-year suspension would lose their licence for a minimum of three months and use an ignition interlock for nine months.

With a second conviction, the driver would lose their licence for a minimum of six months and use the device for 30 months. A third conviction would see a driver lose their licence for 12 months and use an ignition interlock for four years.

The machines require an alcohol-free breath sample before the vehicle can start and they also require random clean samples during the vehicle's operation to guard against drivers who may try to cheat the device with another individual's breath.

The devices, which will be provided by Alcohol Countermeasures Systems Corp., will be paid for by individuals who chose to participate in the program at a cost of between $4 and $6 per day.

New Brunswick's drinking and driving laws have come under attack recently. In a report card released earlier this month that compared interlock programs from across the country, Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada gave New Brunswick a failing grade because the government had yet to initiate its program. The organization also criticized the province for shying away from a mandatory program.

"If it's voluntary and people realize they can drive without getting caught, why would they put an interlock on their car?" said Andy Murie, MADD Canada's CEO.

Public Safety Minister John Foran was unavailable for comment Tuesday.