Government legislation that creates new and stronger laws against impaired driving arrived in the Senate for consideration this week after being adopted in the House of Commons.

Bill C-46 gives law enforcement the necessary resources to further deter and detect alcohol and drug impaired driving, the leading criminal cause of death and injury in Canada.

In 2015, police recorded more than 72,000 impaired driving incidents in Canada.

Bill C-46 proposes to increase maximum penalties and minimum fines for impaired driving offences, especially for repeat offenders.

Among other changes, the bill enacts new criminal offences for driving with specified blood-drug concentrations, and authorizes police to conduct roadside drug-screening tests for suspected impaired drivers. In the case of alcohol, this bill authorizes mandatory roadside screenings, which have effectively reduced the rates of injury and death from impaired driving in other jurisdictions.

Senator Gwen Boniface, an independent Senator representing Ontario, is the Senate sponsor of Bill C-46. Senator Boniface is a former Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police.