Fatalities

2003 - 149
2004 - 130
2005 - 158
2006 - 167
2007 - 170

Drivers in serious injury alcohol-related crashes

2003 - 727
2004 - 755
2005 - 788
2006 - 954
2007 - 795

Traffic Safety Act, R.S.A., 2001, c. T-6, s. 83-90
http://www.canlii.org/en/ab/laws/stat/rsa-2000-c-t-6/latest/rsa-2000-c-t-6.html

Criminal BAC limit: 0.08%

Administrative BAC limit: 0.08%

Enhanced penalties for repeat offenders

1st offence: 12 months

Alberta’s remedial programs are overseen by the Alberta Motor Association (AMA) who delivers them on behalf of the Alberta Transportation Safety Board (ATSB). Upon being convicted of impaired driving, both first and repeat offenders are required to complete an education program in order to have their licence reinstated. First offenders are required to complete ‘Planning Ahead’ and repeat offenders are required to complete ‘IMPACT’.

Planning Ahead is a one-day education course for first offenders and costs $220. The focus of the class is to prevent future incidence of impaired driving. During the course, offenders will learn the following:

• how to separate drinking and drug use from driving by creating an action plan prior to heading out;
• the importance of zero tolerance for impaired driving;
• how impairment affects an individual’s ability to operate a motor vehicle; and,
• how lifestyle choices can put an individual at increased risk of impaired driving and other negative consequences.

IMPACT is a weekend live-in assessment for alcohol and/or drug use and costs $640. The program consists of a pre-treatment course for repeat offenders (those drivers who have two or more convictions within a ten-year window). The focus of this course is to prevent impaired driving in the future by addressing the underlying alcohol dependency issues that are leading to the criminal behaviour. During the course, offenders will cover the following:

• how their alcohol/drug use has negatively impacted their lives;
• examination of the problems that their alcohol/drug use has caused; and,
• establish an action plan to begin to deal with their dependency issues.

The ATSB will obtain a copy of the assessment from the IMPACT program. The assessment will include recommended supports, if any, by the facilitator of the course and ATSB can impose these recommendations (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) attendance, commence or continue a program with the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC) a referral to Driver Fitness and Monitoring (DFM) for medical testing for alcohol dependency, etc.).

Program authority

Alberta Transportation Safety Board

Eligibility

Voluntary after minimum period of prohibition for first offenders; voluntary for repeat offenders after a minimum period of prohibition with the approval of the ATSB. The TSB can also order offenders to participate as a condition of licence reinstatement.

Length of participation

Minimum of 6 months.

Monitoring agency

Alberta Transportation Safety Board

Sanctions for non-compliance

Violations can lead to a warning, a notice to attend an inquiry with the Board, and an extension or revocation from the alcohol interlock program.

Contact

Ron Smitten (Ron.Smitten@gov.ab.ca)
Phone: (780) 422-7982