Impaired Driving In Ontario What is impaired driving? Impaired driving is operating any motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The maximum legal blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, limit in Ontario for fully­licensed drivers over the age of 21 is 0.08. Novice drivers and drivers under the age of 21 must have a BAC of 0.00. Driving with a BAC over the legal limit is a criminal offence. While a BAC of 0.08 is the legal limit, driving after drinking at all is dangerous. If a driver is pulled over and has a BAC of 0.05­0.08, the
‘warn range’, they can face disciplinary action, such as fines or license suspension. First time offenders get their license suspended for 3 days, and a $150 fine. Drivers caught with a BAC in the warn range for a second time, within the period of 5 years, get a 7­day license suspension and a $150, and they must attend an alcohol education program. If caught for the third time, again within a 5­year period, a driver will receive a
30­day license suspension and a $150 fine. The driver must also have an ignition interlock system installed in their car, and attend an alcohol education program. Drinking and driving is dangerous to not only the driver, but also everyone else on the road. A driver can be impaired even after only one drink.
Drivers need to be fully alert to be able to react to things that happen suddenly while driving, but alcohol slows reflexes. Alcohol affects vision, often causing blurred or