New Brunswick is lagging behind other provinces when it comes to dealing with impaired drivers.
That’s according to a recent report by MADD Canada.
CEO Andrew Murie says New Brunswick came in last place tied with Quebec with a grade of F on their report card.
The poor results were addressed in a meeting with Public Safety Minister Stephen Horsman.
“He promised there’d be sweeping changes, and that New Brunswick would no longer be at the bottom,” says Murie. “So we’re very encouraged by that conversation, and good legislation takes some time.”
Murie says suspensions aren’t enough punishment, vehicles need to be impounded.
“It makes it very difficult to explain why the car is not in the driveway and why you can’t drive your vehicle to work,” says Murie. “As soon as that program was brought in, people really changed their behaviours when it came to drinking and driving.”
Murie says the province scored poorly when it came to suspensions, and doesn’t have a mandatory interlock program.
“So anybody who’s convicted of impaired driving, they basically have to put a breathalyzer in their vehicle, and they have to give a sample every time before they drive,” says Murie.
He says they hope to see legislation by the fall that would shore up holes in current laws, by adding interlock programs, and provisions for short term vehicle impoundment.
