Public Policy Initiatives - Federal
The Criminal Code of Canada sets out the federal impaired driving offences and penalties, as well as enforcement authority and procedures. As such, any proposed amendments or changes to the screening measures and BAC testing police conduct, the grounds on which they stop suspected impaired drivers or the minimum or mandatory sentencing of convicted impaired drivers is federally mandated.
Please see below for two of MADD Canada’s key federal policy initiatives and policy positions.
For more information on these and our other federal policy priorities, please read our 2012 Federal Legislative Review
.
Random Breath Testing
A large number of impaired drivers go undetected at sobriety checkpoints because they do not display obvious signs of impairment and therefore police do not have grounds to demand a breath test. Random breath testing is a proven effective screening measure which has achieved sustained reductions in impaired driving crashes, deaths and injuries in other countries. It can do the same in Canada.
Collection of BAC Evidence in Hospitals
Impaired drivers who are hospitalized after crashes often escape prosecution of the most serious impaired driving offences because the current laws make it very difficult for police and health professionals to gather BAC evidence in a hospital setting. MADD Canada is calling on the federal government to make changes to the Criminal Code to address this important public safety issue.
For more information, please see:
- Emergency Departments – A Legal “Catch 22” Has Turned Them into a Safe Haven from Prosecution for Impaired Drivers Who are Involved in Fatal or Personal Injury Crashes
- Enforcing Impaired Driving Laws Against Hospitalized Drivers: The Intersection of Healthcare, Patient Confidentiality and Law Enforcement
- Proportion of Drivers Presenting to a Tertiary Care Emergency Department Who Engage in Future Impaired Driving Activities
Find out more...
Official Sponsor
The Allstate Insurance Company of Canada is proud to be an official sponsor of MADD Canada.
Did You Know?
Random breath testing could save an estimated 248 lives and prevent an estimated 14,000 injuries in Canada every year.
