Tougher Rules for Impaired Driving

Summary#

This bill changes Manitoba’s Highway Traffic Act to tighten rules on alcohol and drugs for drivers, especially new and commercial drivers. It creates zero‑alcohol rules for more people, adds drug screening, lengthens roadside suspensions, and sets long “no alcohol while driving” periods after impaired incidents.

• Sets zero alcohol and zero detectable drugs for novice drivers and certain “restricted” drivers (to be defined by regulation).
• Requires zero alcohol for people driving heavy/commercial vehicles (class 1, 2, 3, or 4).
• Lets police demand roadside breath or drug samples from novice, restricted, and supervising drivers.
• Increases the standard roadside licence suspension from 72 hours to at least 7 days in many alcohol/drug cases.
• Imposes a two‑year “no alcohol while driving” period after an impaired conviction or certain roadside suspensions; a lifetime no‑alcohol rule applies after two impaired convictions within 10 years.
• Allows towing and storage of vehicles when licences are suspended, with costs recoverable.

What it means for you#

• Novice and restricted drivers

  • You must have zero alcohol and no detectable drugs when driving or in “care or control” of a vehicle (for example, sitting in the driver’s seat with the keys).
  • Police can require a breath or drug screening test at the roadside. If you refuse or test positive, you can lose your licence right away and your vehicle can be towed.
  • The exact list of who counts as a “restricted driver” and which vehicles this covers will be set by the province in regulations.

• Commercial and professional drivers (class 1, 2, 3, 4)

  • You must have zero alcohol while driving or in care or control of your vehicle.
  • Violations can lead to immediate suspension or disqualification from driving in Manitoba, which may affect your job.

• Supervising drivers (accompanying a learner)

  • The province can set a maximum blood‑alcohol level for you, including zero.
  • If you have alcohol over the set limit or a roadside drug test detects a drug, police can demand your licence and you can face suspension.

• All drivers facing roadside actions for alcohol or drugs

  • The minimum roadside suspension tied to alcohol/drug readings or refusal rises from 72 hours to at least 7 days, and can be longer in some cases.
  • Your vehicle can be towed and stored while you are suspended. You are responsible for towing and storage costs.

• Drivers convicted of impaired offences

  • After your licence suspension for the offence ends, you must drive with zero alcohol for two years. This applies to cars, off‑road vehicles, farm equipment, and infrastructure equipment.
  • If you have two separate impaired convictions within 10 years, you must drive with zero alcohol for life.
  • This applies even if the court gave you a discharge (no conviction registered), for the purpose of this rule.

• Drivers who refuse or fail a roadside alcohol screening (without a criminal charge)

  • You must drive with zero alcohol for two years after you regain your licence, unless the suspension is later revoked on review.

• Ignition interlock

  • The bill updates rules so that people with certain administrative suspensions for alcohol or drugs may be required to use an ignition‑interlock device (a breath‑tester linked to the car’s starter) to drive again.

• Timing

  • The law takes effect on a date set by the province. Some details will come later in regulations.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Stronger zero‑tolerance rules for new and commercial drivers will reduce crashes and save lives.
• Longer roadside suspensions and two‑year or lifetime no‑alcohol conditions are clear deterrents against impaired driving.
• Adding roadside drug screening tools helps address drug‑impaired driving, not just alcohol.
• Letting police demand immediate samples and licences streamlines enforcement and keeps unsafe drivers off the road.
• Aligns provincial rules with federal impaired‑driving laws updated in recent years.

Opponents' View#

• Zero‑tolerance and lifetime no‑alcohol rules may be too harsh, especially for people with old offences or minimal alcohol.
• Roadside drug screening can detect trace amounts; critics worry about false positives and fairness.
• Greater police powers to demand bodily samples and seize licences raise civil‑liberty concerns.
• Longer suspensions, towing, and storage fees can create serious hardship for workers and families.
• Key details, like who counts as a “restricted driver,” are left to future regulations, creating uncertainty.