The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has amended to the Motor Vehicles Act (Act) to ensure public safety and increase alignment with other jurisdictions across Canada.
The amendments:
Prevent drivers from avoiding administrative penalties by refusing to provide a breath sample for immediate testing and ensure that those who refuse are assessed the same administrative penalty as if they were impaired.
Remove a gap that exempted commercial drivers from administrative penalties for having a blood-alcohol level between 0.05-0.08.
Remove a requirement for redundant medical exams, ensuring there are still safeguards in place to protect road safety, balanced with the needs of those who undergo periodic medical examinations as a condition of their license, such as the elderly and commercial drivers.
Ensure that the legislation enables full participation in the Ignition Interlock Program and that court orders issued in the NWT result in the cancellation of the driver’s license.
Clarify that administrative penalties under section 116.2 of the Act do not apply to use of drugs that are authorized for medical purposes.
The Act is currently being reviewed in anticipation of a full rewrite. However, that review will take several years to complete. These amendments allow the GNWT to address these identified gaps and inconsistencies sooner.
For media requests, please contact:
INF Communications Department of Infrastructure Government of the Northwest Territories INF_Communications@gov.nt.ca