Impaired driving laws in Prince Edward Island

By the end of this topic you can

• You can say who must have zero alcohol and zero drugs when driving in PEI.
• You can describe the roadside consequences for a new driver who has been drinking.
• You can explain the penalties for a Criminal Code impaired driving conviction.
• You can apply the alcohol limit for a Stage 1 accompanying driver.

What you need to know and understand

• Zero alcohol applies to all GDL drivers, whatever their age, and to every driver under 22.
• GDL drivers must also have zero drugs in their blood when driving.
• A zero-tolerance driver found with any alcohol has their licence suspended for 24 hours at the roadside, and the handbook adds a 90-day administrative prohibition.
• Any driver who blows 50 mg or more in 100 mL of blood (a WARN or FAIL on a roadside screening device), or who fails a police drug coordination test, has their licence suspended at the roadside: seven days the first time, 30 days the second time and 90 days the third time within three years. The vehicle can also be impounded.
• A Criminal Code impaired driving conviction cancels your licence for 1 year for a first offence, 3 years for a second and 5 years after that.
• A Stage 1 accompanying driver must be under 50 mg of alcohol in 100 mL of blood and not impaired by drugs.

Zero means zero

There is no safe amount for a new driver in PEI. One drink, or cannabis, can put you over the zero limit. The rule covers you whenever you are driving or in care or control of a vehicle, even when it is parked with the engine running. If police find any alcohol, they will ask you to hand over your licence and you cannot drive for 24 hours. GDL drivers and drivers under 22 who fail a police drug coordination test face an administrative driving prohibition.

How alcohol and drugs change your driving

• Slower reactions: you take longer to see a hazard and brake.
• Poorer vision: you need more light to see and recover from glare more slowly.
• Worse judgment: impaired drivers often feel more capable than they are.
• Mixing alcohol with other drugs, including some prescription medicines, can multiply the effects. Ask a pharmacist before driving on any new medication.

Penalties at a glance

• Any alcohol, zero-tolerance driver: 24-hour roadside suspension, a 90-day administrative prohibition and demerit points on conviction.
• 50 mg or more (WARN or FAIL), any driver: licence surrendered and suspended for 7, 30 or 90 days for a first, second or third time within three years, plus possible impoundment of the vehicle.
• Criminal Code conviction (impaired, over 80 mg, or refusing a test): licence cancelled for 1, 3 or 5 years.
• Your licence does not come back automatically after a conviction. After a first impaired conviction you must complete the Driver Rehabilitation Course and pay a reinstatement fee, and an ignition interlock device is mandatory for every driver convicted of impaired driving in PEI.

Common mistakes

• Thinking the zero rule ends when you leave GDL. If you are under 22, it still applies.
• Believing coffee, a cold shower or food will sober you up. Only time lowers your blood alcohol.
• Driving the morning after a party. Alcohol can still be in your blood hours later.
• Assuming cannabis is safer than alcohol. GDL drivers must have zero drugs, and drug impairment is a crime for everyone.

Test yourself: Impaired driving laws in Prince Edward Island

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• PEI Impaired and Distracted Driving
• PEI Knowledge Test, Vision Test and Novice Driver Course