Nunavut needs stiffer laws to prevent impaired driving: MADD report

Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon need to make major improvements in their laws to reduce impaired driving, says MADD Canada’s 2012 Provincial and Territorial Legislative Review.

The territories have generally had poor impaired driving records, said MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), whose mission is “to stop impaired driving and to support victims of this violent crime.”

The territories, where drivers have poor impaired driving records, “have not enacted any significant initiatives in the past three years,” the MADD 2012 report said.

“While some provinces are doing better than others, and while impaired driving deaths and injuries fell slightly in 2009, no one should be satisfied with the current levels,” it stated.

Nunavut, where impaired driving is at two or three times national average, “needs to greatly strengthen all of its impaired driving legislation,” the report said.

The report recommendations for Nunavut include:

• increasing the minimum age of licensed driving of any vehicle to 16;

• establishment of a licencing program;

• stiff breath alcohol limits and a drug prohibition for new and young drivers;

• sanctions for offenses, such as a seven-day sanction against driving and a vehicle impoundment program, and,

• a remedial program for drivers who break the law.

The full review report is available on MADD Canada’s website.