Drunk driving continues to be a persistent problem in Ontario, with one in three road deaths involving impaired drivers, according to provincial data. Meanwhile, the total number of impaired driving charges laid annually steadily increased from 2020 to 2023, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say. In May, the provincial government announced new legislation that would impose tougher penalties for drunk drivers, including a lifetime licence suspension for those convicted of impaired driving causing death. Harsher penalties may deter some people from drunk driving but don't necessarily account for the skewed judgment that leads to it in the first place, according to Kharlip. When he announced the new legislation in May , Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said that drunk driving remains too pervasive a problem in the province.
