Alcohol and drugs (continued)
On average, from 2016 to 2020, each year approximately 38 people were killed and 535 people were injured in collisions involving impaired driving.
Drugs or alcohol will impair your driving. Operating a vehicle safely and responsibly requires that you be alert. Impairment begins with the first drink or drug use. It is important that all drivers understand the risks of drinking or drug use and driving, and realize that there are risks, laws, and penalties involved with this choice. You may face:
- heavy fines
- a criminal record
- time in jail
- the loss of your driver’s licence privileges
- increased vehicle insurance premiums
- damage to property
- serious injury or death
- loss of employment, if driving is required as part of the job.
Driving responsibly
Demerit points and consequences
Demerit points are recorded against your driving record when you are convicted of an offence.
You are convicted of an offence when you:
- pay the fine assessed on your ticket voluntarily
- appear in court and are found guilty
- fail to appear in court and are ‘convicted (guilty) in absence’. Convictions and times when your driver’s licence privileges have been suspended remain on your driving record for 10 years and will appear on your driver’s abstract.
Fully-licensed drivers
If you have accumulated eight to 14 demerit points within a two-year period, you will receive a letter notifying you of your demerit point standing.
If you have accumulated 15 or more demerit points within a two-year period your driver’s licence privileges will be automatically suspended for a period of time.
When the time of your suspension has been served, your driver’s licence privileges will be reinstated with seven demerit points remaining on your driver’s licence record. These points remain on your driver record for a period of two years from the reinstated date on the letter.
GDL drivers
If you have accumulated four to seven demerit points within a two-year period, you will receive a letter notifying you of your demerit point standing.
If you have accumulated eight or more demerit points within a two-year period, your driver’s licence privileges will be automatically suspended for a period of time.
When the time of your suspension has been served, your driver’s licence privileges will be reinstated with three demerit points remaining on your driver’s licence record. These points will stay on your driver record for a period of two years from the assessed date.