Ontario Announces Opening of Ignition Interlock Installation Centres

Transportation Minister Norm Sterling will officially launch the province’s newest weapon in the fight against impaired driving.
On Monday, December 23, with the full implementation of Ontario’s new Ignition Interlock program, Sterling will launch the new program by opening an ignition interlock service centre in Toronto – one of six centres opening province-wide today. The service centres will install and maintain the devices.
The province is to have the devices installed on vehicles used by convicted impaired drivers.
An ignition interlock device is an in-car alcohol breath screening device that prevents a vehicle from starting if it detects a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over a pre-set limit of .02 (i.e., 20 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood). The device is located inside the vehicle, near the driver’s seat, and is connected to the engine’s ignition system.
Before starting the vehicle, a driver must blow into the device. If the driver’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is above the pre-set limit, the vehicle will not start.
Once the vehicle is started, the interlock device requires the driver to provide breath samples at random pre-set times while the engine is running. If a sample is not provided, or if the BAC exceeds the limit, the device will issue a warning, record the event and activate specific alarm systems (e.g., lights flashing, horn honking, etc.), until the ignition is turned off.