A lawyer says Canada’s revised laws on impaired driving are not as draconian as many people think.
Phil Star, who practices in Yarmouth, N.S., says police cannot just walk into your house and demand a breath sample without reasonable grounds.
Star said if you leave some place, you are not drinking and you go home and have a couple of drinks, there is no offence.
“If, on the other hand, you have just been involved in a motor vehicle accident and you get out of there and the police come to your house and are able to get a breath sample from you, it is a markedly different story,” said Star.
The onus is on drivers to prove they were not impaired when they were on the road, he said.
Star also said a change was made to the 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood condition.
Changes to Section 253 of the Criminal Code of Canada took effect on December 18.