During this Christmas season there will be many parties to attend. Whether they are work parties, family gatherings or a New Years Eve party. Whatever the agenda is, it is important to always plan a safe ride home.

Effective December 18th, 2018, New legislation has passed – Bill C46 – which allows law enforcement to conduct mandatory alcohol and drug screening tests. This means that if you are pulled over or are pulled into any random check stop across the country, a police officer can demand a breathalyzer test be taken even if the motorist has no signs of impairment. Prior to this bill being passed, an officer had to have reasonable grounds to pull you over.

Provincial legislation had also changed the impaired driving legislation limit to .04 back in 2017. This meant tougher penalties for a lower legal limit. Penalties such as having your vehicle seized for up to 3 days, attending an impaired driving education program and possibly having your drivers licence suspended. There is a zero tolerance for drivers under the age of 21. The criminal offence still is effective at .o8. For more information on impairment penalties, please click here.

Also, to help with the prevention of impaired driving, effective December 14th, 2018, Ride sharing companies such as Uber & LYFT are now available. If you choose to be a driver for one of these programs, you may need to upgrade your drivers license and amend your personal auto pak to a commercial auto pak to extend coverage properly to this ride sharing operation. Please contact your broker for more information or a quote on these coverages.

We want you to have a safe and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Please enjoy the holidays with your family and friends.