
Ontario leads the way in combating drinking and driving through some of the toughest laws and programs in North America.
Fully-licensed drivers will face immediate roadside licence suspension for refusing a breath test or registering a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 or more (this means there is 50 milligrams of alcohol in every 100 millilitres of blood).
As of August 1, 2010, if you are a fully licensed driver who is 21 and under or a novice driver and are caught with any alcohol in your blood, you will receive an immediate 24-hour roadside driver licence suspension and, if convicted, you will face a fine of $60-$500 and a 30-day licence suspension.
Novice drivers of all ages in the Graduated Licensing System (GLS) must also maintain a zero BAC while driving. As of August 1, 2010, if you are a novice driver and are caught with any amount of alcohol in your blood, you will receive an immediate 24-hour roadside driver licence suspension, and if convicted, will face a fine of $60-$500 and will receive a suspension period as per the Novice Driver Escalating Sanction scheme, up to and including cancellation of the novice licence. You will also have to return to the start of GLS.