Under a new law, drunk drivers in New Brunswick could find their vehicles impounded for up to two months.
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Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is warning local drivers that those who get caught violating the new drink driving rules could see their insurance premiums increase.
Public Safety Minister Denis Landry said that the law, which comes into effect November 01, will make the province one of the country’s toughest on impaired driving.
CBC reported that under the law, anyone convicted of drunk driving will have their vehicle confiscated for up to two months, and will have a mandatory ignition interlock device installed in their vehicle when they regain their license.
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The system works in a similar manner to a breathalyzer by preventing a car from starting if it detects that the driver is over the alcohol limit.
The new law also stipulates longer suspensions for drivers with a blood alcohol level within the warning range of 0.05 and 0.08. Records of such suspensions will remain on their driving record.
Legislation also provides police officers the discretion to suspend a driver for 24 hours if they have reason to suspect that the motorist could get into a safety issue.
IBC manager of government relations Erin Norwood believes that the changes send a stern warning.
“If you drink and drive, you will face severe penalties. Your car may be seized, you may be arrested, charged and sent to jail. On top of that your insurance premiums may increase dramatically,” she told CBC.
Citing Statistics Canada information, Norwood noted that New Brunswick is one of only two provinces where the number of impaired drivers under the age of 20 has actually dropped in the last six years.
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