The Manitoba Government is increasing penalties for drunk driving. It plans to add more fines, fees and other penalties.

Under the proposed new law, drivers who register a ‘warn’ on an approved alcohol screening device, suggesting a blood alcohol content of between .05 and .08, would face a new monetary penalty of at least $200 for a first offence and have their vehicle impounded for three days. The penalties would escalate to a $400 dollar fine for a third offence and a 30-day vehicle suspension. Drivers caught a third or subsequent time would also be required to drive with an ignition interlock for a year. These new sanctions would be on top of existing licence suspensions and other sanctions for ‘warn’ range drivers.

Adding up all the administrative sanctions and penalties, the minimum cost for a driver in the 'warn' range would be $2,600 for a first offence to about $3,200 for a third or subsequent offence.

Under the new approach, testing could take as little as six minutes, which is significantly less than the time required to administer a breathalyzer and process a drunk driver criminally, which is often up to four hours. As a result, police officers would get back on the road sooner, allowing them to catch more drunk drivers.

Once proclaimed, the legislation would be accompanied by a provincewide public education campaign by Manitoba Public Insurance, further emphasizing the new costs and consequences of driving drunk.

In 2017, 73 people were killed and 442 were seriously injured in traffic collisions in Manitoba. Drunk driving accounted for 32 per cent of those killed and six per cent of those injured. Already this year, 28 people have lost their lives because of a drunk driver.