New laws for impaired driving as outlined in Bill 21, the Provincial Administrative Penalties Act is in effect starting today and includes tougher laws for novice impaired drivers like mandatory education, 30 days vehicle seizure, 15-month driver’s licence suspension and $1,000 fine.
The new Immediate Roadside Sanctions (IRS) Program brings in new zero-tolerance consequences for novice drivers and commercial drivers, with new fines, longer vehicle seizures, mandatory education and lengthy periods of ignition interlock. Repeat offenders, impaired drivers who cause bodily harm or death, and other more serious cases will still receive criminal charges in addition to the other penalties.
The law also includes changes to the process of addressing traffic ticket disputes via SafeRoads Alberta. SafeRoads Alberta will launch the new online Administrative Penalty Information System (APIS) through which Albertans can to view the details on their penalties, pay their fines, request more time to pay, request a vehicle seizure review, and, request a review by SafeRoads Alberta if they wish to dispute their impaired driving administrative penalty.
As per the government, SafeRoads Alberta will divert nearly two million traffic tickets from Alberta’s courts, freeing up court time for criminal matters, ensuring law enforcement can spend more time on the streets and less in courtrooms for violations, and avoids the necessity for hundreds of thousands of Albertan’s to visit courthouses merely to pay tickets or schedule hearings.
Key Changes
- Immediate Roadside Sanction program with serious, immediate and escalating consequences for impaired drivers, including:
- new fines up to $2,000
- increased length of vehicle seizure up to 30 days for certain offences
- new mandatory education programs for repeat offenders
- increased driver’s licence suspensions for repeat offenders
- expanded mandatory ignition interlock for repeat offenders
- launch an online ticket dispute system to:
- make it easier for Albertans to pay, request more time to pay, or dispute a ticket
- free up courts and police to focus on the most serious matters
- enshrine into law that commercial drivers must have zero blood alcohol and drug concentrations on the job
Comparison of Old Law vs. New Law
Old Law | New Law |
When an officer has reasonable grounds to believe that a driver has committed an impaired offence, the driver:
Police investigation, documentation, and testimony can | When an officer has reasonable grounds to believe that a driver has committed an impaired offence, the driver will:
Police can issue this process in an hour or less on |
If a driver wishes to dispute their driver’s licence suspension, they must:
| If a driver wishes to dispute their notice, they will:
|
The driver will also have to proceed to the Criminal Courts to resolve the criminal charge. This can include:
| If the driver is unsatisfied, they may seek Judicial review at the Court of Queens’s Bench of Alberta. |
**Updated to add Safe Roads website link which was launched today. Earlier article mentioned that the online system will be launched in 2021.**