Will I have to install an ignition interlock device?

As well as the Responsible Driver Program, another intervention the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles issues is the Ignition Interlock Program. If you have recently received a driving prohibition, you may be unsure about whether you have to install an ignition interlock device.

If you accept a driving prohibition or the prohibition is upheld, there is a chance you will have to get an interlock installation. There is no definitive answer, but this guide will explain the process to determine whether you will need an ignition interlock device.

What is an interlock device?

The Superintendent also has the power to refer drivers to the Ignition Interlock Program. An ignition interlock is a device installed in a vehicle that the driver must blow into before starting the engine. The interlock detects alcohol on the motorist’s breath and if it detects any alcohol, it will prevent the car from starting. The device also logs the reading each time it is used, including occasions when it detects alcohol. This information is kept on a database and if it detects multiple alcohol readings it may lead to an extension of the driver’s participation in the IIP.

Will I have to install an Ignition Interlock device?

The Superintendent of Motor Vehicles assigns a certain number of points, known as remedial program points, to different impaired driving violations. Below is a table of how many remedial program points different impaired driving offences carry:

While the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles will refer drivers to the Responsible Driver Program if they accrue six or more remedial program points within a five-year window, the criteria for the Ignition Interlock Program (IIP) is slightly higher.

All 90-day IRPs, 90-day ADPs and Criminal Code convictions carry a penalty of six remedial program points, so if you receive one of these, you will not automatically have to install an ignition interlock. Similarly, if you only get one 24-hour, three-, seven- or 30-day prohibition within five years you will not have to install an ignition interlock device.

Drivers are referred to the IIP if they accumulate a minimum of nine remedial program points within a five-year window.

One major caveat is that the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles may decide it is in the public interest to have a driver install an ignition interlock after examining their driving record, skills, fitness and ability to drive.

Interlock installation

The more remedial program points a driver accrues within five years, the longer they will need to have the ignition interlock device installed in their vehicle. The minimum amount of time for an interlock installation is six months. This requirement can rise to more than two years depending on the number of remedial points on a driver’s record.

Interlock device cost

A Smart Start interlock device is very expensive. Drivers who need one have to pay a monitoring fee of $2.67 per day. So, if you were mandated to have the device for 24 months, you would have to pay nearly $2,000. Other fees associated with the program, not including GST and PST, are:

• $145 for installation and training on the device
• $50 removal fee at the end of the program
• $188 early removal fee (by choice or by administrator’s decision)
• $105 one-time administration fee

Can I have the requirement lifted?

It is possible to get the ignition interlock device requirement lifted. Acumen Law has been able to save many of our clients from having to install an ignition interlock and the associated costs and inconvenience. To find out if we can help, call us for a free consultation on 604-685-8889.