Alcohol impaired driving is a serious problem in every community across Canada. Impaired driving is a criminal offence that can result in severe penalties. According to a recently released study by the Canada Safety Council, (CSC) “Canada's blood alcohol law is very strict compared to most other countries in the western world.”

Every year, thousands of drivers are convicted of driving offences. It is estimated that about three quarters of those convictions are related to drinking and driving. Alcohol impaired drivers are involved in thousands of traffic collisions every year.

The amount of alcohol in a person's body is measured by the amount of the alcohol in the blood. This is referred to as the blood alcohol concentration, or BAC. Blood alcohol concentration is the amount of alcohol present in a 100 milliliter (ml) volume of blood. It is the percentage of concentration of alcohol in one's bloodstream. For example 50 mg is 0.05 grams, 0.05 grams of alcohol in 100 mls is written as 0.05%. In Canada, it is a criminal offence to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08, or 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood. This means that less than one tenth of one percent of the blood is concentrated with alcohol when one is considered alcohol impaired. Although nearly all Canadian provinces enforce a legal blood alcohol limit of 0.05, the maximum blood alcohol content allowed in the province of Quebec is 0.08. All provinces, except Nunavut, have a zero blood alcohol level for new drivers. As well, all provinces other than Quebec have laws that allow police to suspend the licenses of drivers caught with alcohol readings of .05 or more. According to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, “drivers with a BAC above 0.05, but below the legal limit are 7.2 times more likely to be in a fatal collision than drivers with a zero BAC.” Factors that influence BAC levels include the rate at which one drinks, gender, body weight, and the amount of food in one's stomach.

Specific blood level effects include:

Blood Levels 0.03 – 0.059: Behavior includes mild euphoria, relaxation, talkativeness, and decreased timidity. There is impairment in alertness, judgment, coordination, and concentration.

Blood Levels 0.06–0.10: Behavior includes dulled feelings and increased sociability. There is impairment in reflexes, reasoning, depth perception, distance perception, and peripheral vision. There may be sensitivity to brightness and the inability to differentiate between colors. The brain's ability to perform simple motor functions is also reduced and a driver's reaction time will be slower and responses will be less accurate.

Drinking and driving is no longer a tolerable situation. It results in car accidents, serious injuries, and death. It also affects the Canadian economy because of the additional costs for health care, emergency response, and property damage. According to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, “the financial cost to society of drinking and driving is estimated to be at least $3 billion annually.” When it comes to making our roads safe, it is essential that we get drunk drivers off the road.