Downloaded from injuryprevention.bmj.com on 10 April 2008 Zero blood alcohol concentration limits for drivers under 21: lessons from Canada E Chamberlain and R Solomon Inj. Prev. 2008;14;123-128 doi:10.1136/ip.2007.017095 Updated information and services can be found at: http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/14/2/123 These include: References This article cites 21 articles, 4 of which can be accessed free at: http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/14/2/123#BIBL Rapid responses You can respond to this article at: http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/cgi/eletter-submit/14/2/123 Email alerting Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article - sign up in the box at service the top right corner of the article Notes To order reprints of this article go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to Injury Prevention go to: http://journals.bmj.com/subscriptions/ Downloaded from injuryprevention.bmj.com on 10 April 2008 Special feature Zero blood alcohol concentration limits for drivers under 21: lessons from Canada E Chamberlain, R Solomon University of Western Ontario, ABSTRACT age and the driver licensing age to coincide, nor is it London, Ontario, Canada Graduated licensing programs (GLPs) that include zero or uncommon for this cohort of young people to low blood alcohol concentration (BAC) restrictions have routinely engage in hazardous drinking. Even in Correspondence to: R Solomon, Faculty of Law, proven to be a popular and effective measure for Europe, where liberal drinking laws are often University of Western Ontario, improving traffic safety among young people. However, a thought to promote more responsible drinking London, Ontario N6A 3K7, major drawback of such programs, at least in Canada, is among youth, there is evidence that young people Canada; [email protected] that the BAC restriction is lifted on completion of the GLP, drink to excess as much as or more than their American counterparts.11 12 It is not surprising, Accepted 20 January 2008 which typically occurs around the age of 18 or 19. This corresponds to the legal drinking age in Canada, a time then, that young people in numerous jurisdictions when alcohol consumption and rates of binge drinking are dramatically overrepresented in traffic fatal- increase. It is not surprising, then, that 18–20 year-old ities, and have a higher relative risk of alcohol- drivers are dramatically overrepresented in alcohol-related related crashes.13 While the following discussion deaths and injuries. One way to address this problem is to describes the development of extended zero BAC raise the legal drinking age, as has occurred in the United limits in Canadian jurisdictions, it is relevant to States. In jurisdictions, like Canada, that are unlikely to other jurisdictions with similar political and raise the legal drinking age, other measures are necessary cultural climates. In particular, jurisdictions in to separate drinking from driving among 18–20 year-olds. which the minimum legal drinking age is unlikely This article recommends that the zero BAC restrictions be to be raised need to explore other means of extended beyond the completion of the GLP, until drivers separating drinking from driving among 18–20 reach the age of 21. The scientific evidence for such a year-old drivers. measure is reviewed, and the growing government support for enacting such BAC limits in Canada is THE CURRENT SITUATION IN CANADA described. Driver licensing In Canada, the provinces and territories have exclusive legislative jurisdiction over the licensing Over the past two decades, graduated licensing 14 of drivers and vehicles. As a result, there are a programs (GLPs) have proven to be one of the most variety of systems in place across Canada’s 10 popular and effective measures for improving 1–4 provinces and three territories, and we can provide traffic safety among young people. These pro- only a general written overview. Table 1 presents grams typically include a requirement that affected more detailed information. drivers maintain a zero or low blood alcohol As illustrated in table 1, a beginner’s or learner’s concentration (BAC) while driving, on the theory permit is typically available at the age of 15, 15K that beginning drivers are already disadvantaged by or, mostly commonly, 16, on completion of a their lack of driving experience, and should not written test. In most provinces and territories, the have their judgment further impaired by alcohol. driver then enters the first stage of a GLP, which These BAC restrictions have consistently been requires him or her to be supervised at all times shown to reduce both self-reported driving after while driving. The remaining restrictions, such as 5 6–8 drinking and alcohol-related crashes among youth. passenger, high-speed roadway and nighttime A major drawback of the current system, at least driving limits, vary greatly across jurisdictions. in Canada, is that the zero BAC restriction is However, all 12 provinces and territories with a usually lifted on completion of the GLP, which formal GLP now require beginning drivers to typically occurs around the age of 18 or 19. This maintain a zero BAC while driving. After a corresponds to the legal drinking age in all of the prescribed period of driving only when supervised, provinces and territories, a period during which the driver may obtain an intermediate license or, in alcohol consumption and rates of binge drinking some jurisdictions, graduate to full licensure. increase.9 Moreover, this is precisely the age at Most GLPs can be completed in 1K to 2L years, which teenage drivers are currently most vulner- so it is possible for young drivers to be fully able to alcohol-related crash deaths and injuries. A licensed by about the age of 18. In most jurisdic- 1999 Canadian study reported that 18–19 year-olds tions, the zero BAC restriction will then be lifted, accounted for almost 74% of all alcohol-related and the driver will only be subject to the general crash deaths among teenage drivers.10 It is danger- BAC restrictions that apply to all older, more ous to expose 18–20 year-olds to their first experienced drivers (a 0.08% limit for a federal experiences of unrestricted driving at the same Criminal Code impaired driving offence, and typi- time as their first legal use of alcohol. cally a 0.05% limit for a 24-hour provincial We suspect that the situation in Canada is not administrative license suspension). Unfortunately, unique. It is not uncommon for the legal drinking as table 2 shows, young drivers, particularly males, Injury Prevention 2008;14:123–128. doi:10.1136/ip.2007.017095 123 Downloaded from injuryprevention.bmj.com on 10 April 2008 Special feature Table 1 Provincial and territorial 0.00% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits and graduated licensing Minimum Minimum length of Minimum length of Additional 0.00% Minimum age at which Legal Province/territory driving age stage 1 stage 2 BAC limit 0.00% BAC limit ends drinking age Alberta 14 12 months 24 months n/a 17 18 British Columbia 16 12 months 24 months n/a 18 years 9 months 19 (9 with driver ed.) Manitoba 15.5* 9 months 15 months 36 months 20.5 18 New Brunswick 16 12 months 24 months minus no. of n/a 18 19 (4 with driver ed.) months in stage 1 Newfoundland and Labrador 16 12 months 12 months n/a 17 years 8 months 19 (8 with driver ed.) Nova Scotia 16 6 months 24 months n/a{ 18 years 3 months 19 (3 with driver ed.) Northwest Territories 15 12 months 12 months n/a 17 19 Nunavut 15 No GLP, full license at 16 and no 0.00% BAC limit n/a 15 Ontario 16 12 months 12 months n/a 17 years 8 months 19 (8 with driver ed.) Prince Edward Island 16 12 months 12 months 12 months 18 years 9 months 19 (9 with driver ed.) Que´bec 16 12 months 24 months (or age 25) n/a 18 years 8 months 18 (8 with driver ed.) Saskatchewan 15* 9 months 18 months (novice 1 n/a 17 years 3 months 19 plus novice 2) Yukon 15 6 months and not before 18 months n/a 17.5 19 age 16 *The minimum driving age for Manitoba and Saskatchewan applies to any driver who has enrolled in or completed an approved driver education program (driver ed.). {Nova Scotia has enacted legislation which, when proclaimed in force, will increase the 0.00% BAC limit to a minimum of 4 years and 9 months for drivers who have successfully completed an approved driver education program. GLP, graduated licensing program. have a sharply rising relative risk of death starting at a BAC of binge drinkers reported doing so 12 or more times. The levels 0.02%, one that far exceeds that of older drivers with were even higher among 20–24 year-olds: about 76% acknowl- comparable BACs. Thus, allowing young drivers to consume edged binge drinking at least once in the past year, and 56% of even moderate amounts of alcohol before driving significantly these reported doing so 12 or more times.18 Moreover, binge increases their crash risk. drinking rates among Canadian youth appear to be increasing.19 For example, a British Columbia study reported that, among Alcohol consumption among youth high school students who drank, the rate of binge drinking had 20 In 2005, the Canadian Addiction Survey (CAS)9 provided a broad increased from 36% in 1992 to 44% in 1998. range of survey data on alcohol and drug consumption across Even these disconcerting statistics may create a more positive the Canadian population.