Impaired driving laws in Yukon

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain the zero tolerance rule for GDL drivers and their co-drivers.
• You can describe how alcohol, cannabis and medications affect driving.
• You can list what happens if a new driver breaks the zero tolerance rule.
• You can explain the wider costs of an impaired driving conviction.
• You can plan safe ways home that do not involve driving impaired.

What you need to know and understand

• Zero tolerance means absolutely no alcohol or drugs in your body; it applies to learner and novice drivers and to a learner's co-driver.
• If police believe any driver has used alcohol or drugs that impair driving, they can suspend the licence for 24 hours and impound the vehicle.
• A GDL driver who breaks the zero tolerance rule faces a meeting with the Registrar, a referral to the Driver Control Board and a restart of their current GDL stage.
• Driving over .08, or refusing a lawful breath or blood demand, brings a 90-day licence suspension and at least 30 days of vehicle impoundment.
• Under the Criminal Code, driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 80 mg or more per 100 mL of blood is an offence, as is driving while impaired by any drug.
• After a conviction, Yukon disqualifies you from holding a licence: 1 year for a first offence, 3 years for a second and indefinitely for a third within 5 years.
• Only time lowers blood alcohol; coffee, food or a cold shower do not.

How substances change your driving

Alcohol slows reactions, blurs judgment and makes risky choices feel safe. Cannabis affects both thinking and motor skills, slowing reaction time and making it harder to track several things at once; research cited in the handbook links it to double the risk of a crash. The same impaired driving law also covers off-road vehicles. Many prescription and over-the-counter medicines cause drowsiness, so read labels and ask a pharmacist. Mixing even small amounts of alcohol with drugs can greatly increase impairment.

What a conviction really costs

• Court penalties that can include jail, fines and a driving prohibition, plus a Yukon licence disqualification and possible referral to the Driver Control Board.
• A remedial driving program, which is required after any driving-related Criminal Code conviction, and possibly an ignition interlock device, at your own cost.
• Impoundment, towing, storage and reinstatement fees.
• Insurance claims that may be denied after a crash, leaving you to pay for injuries and damage, plus higher premiums.
• Possible loss of a job that requires driving and refusal of entry to other countries.
• Driving while disqualified can mean heavy fines or jail and the risk of never holding a Yukon licence again.

Plan before you go out

1. Decide before the event how you will get home.
2. Arrange a sober driver, a taxi or a place to stay.
3. Never ride with someone who has been drinking or using drugs.
4. If you are a co-driver for a learner, stay completely sober.
5. Remember that you may still be impaired the morning after.

Common mistakes

• Thinking one drink is fine for a novice. Any amount breaks the zero tolerance rule.
• Believing coffee sobers you up. Only time removes alcohol.
• Assuming legal cannabis or a prescription is safe to drive on.
• Forgetting that a learner's co-driver must also have zero alcohol and drugs.

Test yourself: Impaired driving laws in Yukon

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

Go deeper

• Yukon impaired driving and demerit points for new drivers
• Yukon Novice Driver Rules
• How to Get a Driver’s Licence in Yukon