An adult male LaSalle resident was issued a three-day driver’s licence suspension after registering more than 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood Sunday night just after 10:00 PM. The male had been operating a motor vehicle on Front Road in the Town of LaSalle after consuming a quantity of alcohol when he was stopped by a LaSalle Police Officer. The officer could smell the alcohol when speaking with the driver and demanded a breath sample with which the driver complied. As a result, the driver’s licence was suspended and seized for three days. The male must attend the Ministry of Transportation to reinstate his licence for a fee of $281.00.

Section 48 of the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario sets out the grounds and authority for police officers to demand a breath sample from drivers as well as the seizure of driver’s licences. It also sets out the penalties and escalating sanctions for continued violations.

1st violation – Three-day driver’s licence suspension
2nd violation – Seven-day driver’s licence suspension
3rd violation or greater – 30-day driver’s licence suspension

Please don’t drink and drive and don’t drive high.

Excerpt from MTO Official Driver’s Handbook

Alcohol
The police can stop any driver to determine if alcohol or drug testing is required. They may also do roadside spot checks. When stopped by the police, you may be told to blow into a machine that tests your breath for alcohol, a roadside screening device, or perform physical coordination tests.

If you cannot give a breath sample or it is impractical to obtain a sample of breath, the police officer can require you to provide a blood sample instead. The police may also require a driver to provide, blood, oral, or urine samples. If you fail or refuse to comply with any of these demands, you will be charged under the Criminal Code.

Consider the consequences of impaired driving
Ontario leads the way in combating drinking and driving through some of the toughest laws and programs in North America, including licence suspensions, heavy fines, vehicle impoundment, mandatory alcohol education and -treatment programs, and the ignition interlock program. Depending on your number of prior convictions, you may be fined up to $50,000, serve time in jail or lose your licence permanently.

For impaired driving that causes injury or death, the penalties are even more severe. If you are convicted of impaired driving causing bodily harm, you may be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison. Impaired driving causing death can carry a sentence of imprisonment for life.
If you drink and drive and are involved in a collision, you may suffer serious injury or cause serious injury to someone else. Your insurance company might not pay for your medical or rehabilitation costs, or for the damage to your or the other person’s vehicle. Your insurance costs may rise significantly. You may have to pay substantial legal costs as well.
If you are required to drive on the job, a licence suspension could mean losing your employment.