Local MLA applauds new funding for SafeRoads Program

PONOKA COUNTY -- Lacombe-Ponoka MLA Jennifer Johnson is expressing her continued support for the province's SafeRoads Program.

The SafeRoads Program was introduced in December 2020 through the Alberta Government's Traffic Safety Act. It allows law enforcement officers to hand out fines and penalties on the spot rather than forwarding incidents to criminal courts. 

It was implemented to combat impaired driving, also known as drunk driving, driving under the influence, and driving while intoxicated. Under new funding proposed in the province's 2025 Budget, the program is set to receive a total of $7,500,000 in new investments this year.

During a sitting of Alberta's Standing Committee on Families and Communities, Local MLA Jennifer Johnson spoke to the program's impacts, and how it continues to yield positive results across the region.

"By introducing roadside sanctions, law enforcement can impose swift consequences," said Johnson. "This includes license suspensions and vehicle seizures, which act as strong deterrents against impaired driving."

For most first-time impaired drivers, consequences can include an immediate $1,000 fine, a 30-day vehicle seizure and mandatory impaired driving education, and existing measures such as a license suspension. Criminal and repeat offenders will still face potential criminal charges and other penalties under the legislation which was introduced in 2020.

"Since its implementation the program has focused on providing immediate penalties for impaired driving offences," said Johnson. "Stream-lining enforcement processes, and reducing the burden on the court system.

On average in Alberta, one-in-five drivers involved in fatal collisions have been drinking prior to the collision. Since 2020, the province has seen at least 8,600 residents convicted of impaired driving each year.