Prepared by:

Jeffrey Suggett, M. Sc; B.E.S; B. Ed
Synectics Transportation Consultants

Brian Malone, P. Eng, P.T.O.E
Synectics Transportation Consultants

Abstract

This report was commissed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving of Canada (MADD Canada). They had expressed an interest in determining the relationship between stiffer penalties borne upon Ontario drivers convicted of alcohol related Criminal Code Offences and the number of Ontario drivers failing to have their licence reactivated upon the completion of their suspension. These penalties include mandatory completion of a remedial measures program and a new licence reinstatement fee introduced in 1998. It was speculated by MADD Canada that due to these stiffer penalties, some drivers may be simply ‘dropping out of the system’, by deciding not to complete any actions required to get their licence reactivated. MADD Canada wondered if these same drivers were continuing to drive with a suspended licence on Ontario roads.

Ministry of Transportation, Ontario provided to the study team an extract of driver histories of all drivers receiving a first-time one-year Criminal Code Offence licence suspension during the period 1991 – 2001 who failed to have their licence reactivated immediately following the suspension end date. A representative sample was extracted from the records to determine annual trends in licence suspensions not reactivated immediately following the suspension end date. A comparison of the period 1991-1997 (pre-1998 period) to 1999-2001 (post-1998 period) revealed that alcohol related licence suspensions in which the licence was not reactivated immediately increased more than three-fold in the post-1998 period compared to the pre-1998 period among all drivers. In addition, alcohol related one-year suspensions still not reactivated six months after the suspension end date have also increased more than three-fold in the post-1998 period.

The analysis suggested that as a whole, more suspended drivers are failing to carry out the requirements placed on them to get their licence reactivated. Many of these still do not have their licence reactivated even six months after the end of their one-year suspension. This in turn provides evidence that the number of drivers having a suspended licence in Ontario is increasing rapidly, have more than doubled in a three-year period. Follow-up research and analysis was suggested by the authors to better understand the trends observed.

MADD Canada released the findings of the study to the press on May 19th. All of the major Canadian newspapers reported on the findings and at least one newspaper devoted their editoral to the study. The authors will be presenting the findings of the study at the Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference in Ottawa.

Synectics is proud to have had the opportunity to work alongside MADD Canada on this study and looks forward to carrying out similar research in the future.