Alberta Immediate Roadside Sanctions
Have you received Alberta Immediate Roadside Sanctions under SafeRoads Alberta ? It’s important to know your rights and appeal options.
You only have 7 days from the date you received your Immediate Roadside Sanction to dispute it.
Do NOT pay the fine until after you have spoken to us. Paying the fine is an admission of guilt and forfeits your appeal rights. We offer a free, no-obligation consultation to help you understand your situation and make informed decisions.
An Immediate Roadside Sanction can be disruptive but we have a strong track record of helping people deal with these charges. Contact us now (link) to learn how we can help. We’ll explore all possible options to get your driving privileges reinstated. Contact us today and we’ll walk you through this important process during a free, no-obligation consultation.
What are Alberta Immediate Roadside Sanctions?
Immediate Roadside Sanctions in Alberta are administrative penalties police issue right on the spot for impaired driving (alcohol/drugs). If you are stopped, a series of screening tests may be performed at the roadside by the police officer to determine your ability to drive. Immediate roadside sanctions allow a police officer in Alberta to suspend your driver’s licence if there is reasonable suspicion you were not driving lawfully according to impaired driving laws.
The Immediate Roadside Suspension Program replaced the Alberta Administrative License Suspension program in December 2020. It was designed to reduce delays for suspensions and relieve pressure on the justice system. These sanctions were designed for faster action than court, but still carry serious consequences, like mandatory ignition interlock programs for some of these offenses.
Is an Immediate Roadside Sanction a Criminal Charge?
The sanction itself is not a criminal charge but if you had very high alcohol levels you may still face a separate criminal charge, depending on the results of chemical tests performed at the police station, your criminal record, and whether there were any additional aggravating factors, like children in the vehicle.
Even if you are not convicted of a crime, your provincial license suspension will stand since it is treated as an entirely separate matter in Alberta.
What are the Different Types of Immediate Roadside Sanctions?
Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act details the different types of roadside sanctions. The impact on your driving privileges depends on which sanction is applied in your case. Your sanction will be detailed on your “Notice of Administrative Penalty”, which the police officer presents to you when the roadside sanction is imposed.
Under Alberta’s Immediate Roadside Sanctions program, any one of five different types of roadside sanctions can be authorized by a police officer, depending on your license type and the roadside screening results.
Immediate Roadside Sanctions 24-HOUR:
For any driver suspected of impairment (alcohol/drugs/medical). This sanction applies at the discretion of the peace officer if they have reasonable grounds that alcohol or drugs is impairing your ability to drive responsibly.
The sanctions are as follows:
Immediate 24 hour suspension
Possible vehicle seizure for 24 hours
Possible seizure of your driver’s license
Immediate Roadside Sanction
WARN (Caution):
Even if you are below the legal limit in Alberta you can still receive an immediate roadside sanction if you are suspected of having blood alcohol content of 0.05 - 0.08. The immediate roadside sanction warn penalty is as follows, depending on whether it’s your first or have had previous convictions…
Immediate suspension (3 - 30 days)
Immediate vehicle seizure of the vehicle you were driving…
even if it’s not yours (3 - 7 days)Fines of $300 to $1200 plus a 20% victim fine surcharge
Participation in an education course
Immediate Roadside Sanctions:
ZERO/NOVICE:
For novice (GDL) drivers with any detectable alcohol. There is zero alcohol tolerance for drivers with a learner’s or probationary licence in Alberta. This sanction is imposed upon any novice driver suspected of having any alcohol in their blood.
The sanctions are as follows:
30-day immediate suspension
Possible 7-day vehicle seizure of the vehicle you were driving
A $200 fine plus 20% victim fine surcharge
Possible license reinstatement conditions
Immediate Roadside Sanction Commercial
Drivers operating commercial vehicle in Alberta are subject to zero tolerance on alcohol or drugs while operating their vehicle.
The sanctions are as follows:
Immediate suspension of 3 days or up to 30 days
Fines of $300 to $1200 plus a 20% victim fine surcharge
Large rigs are generally not seized
Possible 5 points added to carrier profile which is massive
Possible license reinstatement conditions
Immediate Roadside Sanction FAIL:
This is the most serious sanction (more serious if you have previous convictions). This sanction is applied when you are suspected of operating a vehicle while impaired by alcohol (blood alcohol level 0.08 or higher) or drugs, if you fail an alcohol or drug test within two hours of operating the vehicle or refuse to submit to testing. The sanctions are as follows:
90-day immediate suspension of your driving privileges
30-day seizure of the vehicle you were driving… even if it’s not yours
Fines of $1,000 - $2,000 plus a 20% victim fine surcharge
Participation in Alberta’s Ignition Interlock Program for 12 months to 36 months or possibly life
Participation in an education course
Criminal charges can result with this sanction
As we stated before…