Effective January 1st experienced drivers who are charged for the first time with having a blood alcohol content over .04 will have their vehicle seized for three days. There will be zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol for all drivers 21 and under and all new drivers, and ignition interlock laws will be the strongest in Canada with mandatory ignition interlock for drivers who register a blood alcohol content of .16 or greater or refuse to provide a breath sample. First offence is 2 years, second 5 years and third and subsequent offences 10 years.
New cell phone laws are also coming into effect to add to the current laws. All drivers are prohibited from using hand held cell phones, experienced drivers can use hands free devices but new drivers can’t and if the cell phone is mounted on the dash, clipped to the visor or in a cradle it’s considered hands free and it’s ok for an experienced driver to use it, provided they can access the phone with one touch of a button or voice commands.
