Two years ago, four-year-old Alexa Middelaer was killed by an alleged drunk driver as she fed a horse on a road in Delta. Yesterday her mother, Laurel Middelaer, hugged B.C.’s solicitor general and thanked him for a “gutsy” new law to make British Columbia the worst place in the country to get caught driving while impaired.
Solicitor General Mike de Jong said the law introduced yesterday honours the memory of Alexa by aiming to reduce the number of drunk driving fatalities by a third in the next three years.
“We need penalties that are clear, swift and severe,” Mr. de Jong said on the steps of the legislature, flanked by a dozen uniformed police officers, top officials from Mothers against Drunk Driving, and Alexa’s parents.
The new law, which will take effect this fall, gives police the authority to impose tougher roadside penalties for drivers who refuse a breath sample or are found with a blood alcohol level over the legal limit of 0.08 per cent. Drivers face an immediate, 90-day driving ban and a $500 fine plus their vehicle can be impounded for 30 days. They may also face criminal charges.
The new rules also create a “warning” category for drivers with blood alcohol levels between 0.05 and 0.08 per cent. Penalties include an immediate, three-day driving ban and a $200 fine for a first-time offence.
In both cases, drivers will pay more to restore their driving privileges, up to $3,750 following any roadside suspension. . . . . .
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