New tool to reduce drinking and driving tragedies

New Democrats want to address the scourge of drinking and driving by giving police forces the necessary tools to keep drunk drivers off of our streets.

Bill C-556, introduced by NDP MP Tarik Brahmi (Saint-Jean), would amend the criminal code to allow police officers to perform systematic random breathalyser testing regardless of whether or not the driver shows signs of impairment.

“The NDP is proposing concrete solutions to make our communities safer,” said Brahmi. “The purpose of this legislation is to save lives and prevent irreversible injuries by deterring repeat offenders from drinking and driving.”

Data collected in countries where random breathalyser testing already exists—like New Zealand, Australia and of the European Union—show a significant reduction in collisions and deaths.

Members of the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), which has been calling for random breathalyser testing for years, joined Brahmi as he presented the new legislation.