Yellowknife (Feb 19/03) - Louise Knox called the new rules being laid out for drunk driving in the NWT some of the most "innovative" she has seen in Canada.

Drinking and driving New administrative legislation being proposed for impaired drivers in the NWT: The blood alcohol level at which the Department of Transportation will be able to administratively suspend a driver's licence will be 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. If a driver blows over 0.05 but less than 0.08 it would mean an automatic 24-hour licence suspension. A second reading of over 50 milligrams in two years would automatically result in a 30-day licence suspension. An automatic 90-day suspension for anyone who blows over 80 milligrams in a breathalyzer test. Driving prohibition (in addition to the Criminal Code provisions) of a one-year suspension for the first offence, three-year suspension for the second offence, and five years if caught a third time. No less than a five-year licence suspension where the offence caused a death. Police will be allowed to impound a vehicle driven by anyone caught driving with a suspended licence. Before getting their licence re-instated, an offender would have to purchase an Impaired Driver Assessment package and take a driver rehabilitation course. There will be a graduated licence system for new drivers, considered at a greater risk for accidents than experienced drivers. One of the features of the graduated licence will be a zero tolerance for alcohol behind the wheel.

Knox is the national president for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), based in Mississauga, Ont. She was in Yellowknife on Monday to praise legislation being introduced by the Department of Transportation to change the Motor Vehicles Act to deter drunk driving.

Under the proposed legislation, drivers can have their licence suspended for 24 hours if their blood alcohol level is just 0.05 mg/100mL, instead of the current 0.08 allowance.

To make drivers extra cautious, the proposed legislation will impose a 30-day licence suspension on anyone caught driving impaired a second time in two years.

"This government has taken the issue seriously," said Knox during a press conference Monday. "The bar is raised."

While the number of impaired driving convictions has gone down in the NWT (from 453 in 1991 to 183 in 2000) impaired driving is still the number one cause of criminal death and injury in Canada.

Teacher Michele Thoms, who heads Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) at St. Patrick school, said it was "a great day" for SADD.

"It's been a long time coming," she said, mentioning the names of many groups and people in the North "who have worked tirelessly to bring drinking and driving legislation to the attention of officials who can make changes."

There is no word yet on when the legislation will be voted on. But if passed it would come into effect Jan. 1.

Discouraging impaired driving is just one part of it. The current system will be overhauled to tackle drunk driving offences.

The police, the Department of Transportation, motor vehicle registration, and rehabilitation services will all need more money if the legislation becomes reality -- $300,000 to put the program in place, and $100,000 for on-going costs.

"Rehabilitation is a big part of this new legislation," said Gary Walsh, director of road licensing and safety.

The cost of cracking down on impaired drivers is "well worth it," said Joe Handley, minister of transportation, adding, "given the money we're going to be saving -- less lost lives, less injured people, less people in corrections," he said.

For Jenna Menard, a student at St. Pat's and member of SADD, any alcohol in someone's blood behind the wheel is too much.

"We'd like there to be no tolerance at all," she said, referring to the lowered limit of 0.05 per cent blood alcohol level which she thinks should be zero.