In 2026 All New Cars Made in the US Will Require Anti-impaired Tech – Why won’t Canada Require that?

January 25, 2023, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

The recent reports from Regional police and the OPP suggest that impaired driving rates were up over the holiday season impaired driving from alcohol and drugs is a problem in Ontario and the rate of repeat convictions is high enough to be concerning.

The OPP report that accidents due to impaired driving cost millions of dollars a year and killed 53 people on provincially regulated roadways in 2022. Municipal statistics aren’t not yet in although the forces throughout the province report disturbing increases.

Given the integration of manufacturing and driving in North America as well as the seriousness of the issue it would make sense for the two nations to require such safety equipment at the same time.

In the US the initiative is being funded as part of the trillion-dollar infrastructure plan. It will include a two-fold system in cars. The first is an integrated breathalyzer that will measure the blood alcohol content of the driver from normal exhalations. The second is a skin based test requiring the driver to place a finger on a sensor. These tests will not monitor drug impairments.

Critics in Canada say that the sensors represent a major step forward in traffic safety on the roadways and that integrating the technology requirements in new cars North America wide makes sense.

If you or a loved one are injured in a car accident involving a drunk or otherwise impaired driver please contact one of our experienced personal injury lawyers immediately. We’ll make sure that you don’t’ face your situation alone.

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

It is important that you review your accident benefit file with one of our experienced personal injury / car accident lawyers to ensure that you obtain access to all your benefits which include, but are limited to, things like physiotherapy, income replacement benefits, vocational retraining and home modifications.