Highways and Public Works Minister Nils Clarke tabled amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act today to align it with updates to the Criminal Code of Canada. These amendments would help to strengthen impaired and dangerous driving laws in the Yukon.
The proposed amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act include aligning the language with the updated Criminal Code of Canada, providing the Yukon’s enforcement officers with better tools to impose penalties for impaired driving, expanding the ability to impound vehicles and updating the ignition interlock device program.
Aligning our legislation with federal law will strengthen our ability to combat impaired and dangerous driving crimes. These amendments are an important step and necessary to keep our roads safe for all users.
Minister of Highways and Public Works Nils Clarke
The major amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act include:
- Aligning the blood alcohol limit for roadside sanctions with the Criminal Code of Canada, from "greater than 0.08 per cent" to "0.08 per cent or above".
- Aligning the waiting periods for the ignition interlock program to the Criminal Code of Canada.
- Strengthening the authority for the Yukon enforcement officers to issue immediate licence suspensions and vehicle impoundments when drivers refuse to comply with a roadside alcohol screening demand.
- Peace officers will have the authority to impose a 90-day roadside suspension for criminal impairment with drugs and/or alcohol.
- Peace officers will be able to issue immediate roadside impoundments in response to failure to stop after a collision, fleeing from an officer and when suspending a driver for 24 hours.
Jacob Wilson
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
jacob.wilson@yukon.ca
Madison Guthrie
Communications, Highways and Public Works
867-332-4847
madison.guthrie@yukon.ca