Mr. Speaker, we know that impaired driving leads to injuries, death, and millions of dollars in property damage across Canada every year. Statistics Canada recently reported the NWT and Yukon had the highest rates of impaired driving across the country in 2012. Ninety-four NWT residents were convicted for impaired driving last year. That number doesn’t include administrative suspensions where licences were removed temporarily for blowing over the legal limit in roadside breathalyser tests. The Department of Transportation is taking action to turn these dismal statistics around.
Today I’m pleased to announce the Alcohol Ignition Interlock Program in an effort to make our roads safer. An ignition interlock is an in-car breath screening device connected to the ignition and power systems of a vehicle. The device prevents the vehicle from starting if the driver’s blood alcohol concentration is over a pre-set limit.
Individuals who’ve lost their licences due to impaired driving convictions may be eligible for early reinstatement of their driving privileges in return for meeting specific requirements under the Ignition Interlock Program. If the registrar approves an application, participants may have an interlock device installed in their vehicle, at their own expense, at a cost of $125.00 per month.
Participants remain in the program until their driving prohibitions are lifted, unless removed by the registrar or they voluntarily withdraw. Participants must meet licensing conditions imposed by the registrar and show a clean record with no violations for the last three consecutive months to complete the program.
Mr. Speaker, the department is working with Canada’s leading provider of ignition interlock devices to deliver services to NWT residents using proven technology that effectively reduces the rate of impaired driving. All Canadian provinces and the Yukon administer interlock programs and report the devices work because they mechanically stop impaired driving before it begins.
The Department of Transportation has worked closely with jurisdictional partners, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Manitoba, to introduce this program. The department also consulted with the RCMP and municipal enforcement as well as with the NWT judiciary. The department continues to collaborate with the youth organization, SADD, through its Yellowknife Chapter, to combat drinking and driving in the NWT and increase public safety on our roads and highways. We appreciate the cooperation from our provincial partners, enforcement agencies, the judiciary and Students Against Drunk Driving, whose members are with us this afternoon as visitors in the gallery. They are key partners in combatting drinking and driving and increasing public safety on our roads and highways.
I invite residents to check the DOT website for more information on how to qualify for entry to the program. Our web address is www.dot.gov.nt.ca.
Mr. Speaker, the Ignition Interlock Program demonstrates the department’s continued commitment to reduce incidents of impaired driving in the Northwest Territories. Driving is a privilege, not a right, and every person must be sober when behind the wheel. Initiatives such as the Ignition Interlock Program advance the 17th Assembly goal of building sustainable, vibrant, and safe communities by focusing on prevention. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
