Orientation guide for newcomers to New Brunswick - Government of ...

It is a serious offence in New Brunswick todrive with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher or while under the influence ofdrugs. The amount of alcohol you must drinkto reach a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent varies from person to person, based onsuch variables as your weight.If there is evidence that your blood alcohollevel exceeds 0.08 or that you are under theinfluence of drugs, you will be charged withimpaired driving. If you are found guilty, youwill be fined, have your licence revoked orbe sent to jail. This is explained further inChapter 15, The legal system.If you are involved in an accidentIf you are in a serious accident on the road,you have certain responsibilities. If you thinkthe damage from the accident is more than$1,000 or if someone has been injured orkilled, you must:• contact the police and stay where theaccident happened until they arrive.Leaving the scene of an accident is a crime;• you must give your name, address andinsurance information to the other peopleinvolved in the accident;• even if you do not seem to be hurt, seea doctor right away. Some insurancecompanies require you to do so;Driving in the winterDriving in snow and cold is often difficult.Some suggestions:• buy winter tires: special tires that are madefrom material that can grip the road in coldweather. Do not use winter tires duringthe summer as this can weaken them. Alsocheck the tires regularly to make sure theyhave enough air in them;• slow down: do not drive at the speed limitif the weather is bad. If roads are slippery,occasionally press on the brakes to get afeel for how long you will need to stop andhow much control you have;• make sure you can see: keep your headlights,wiper blades, and window defroster in goodshape. Make sure you always have enoughwindshield washer fluid;• have an emergency kit in your car. TheGovernment of Canada has a list of thingsyou should put in it:• www.getprepared.ca/knw/kt/auto-eng.aspx• keep your distance from the car ahead ofyou: It may take up to 12 times as long tostop on ice as on dry roads;• do not make sudden movements: suddenlyspeeding up, jerking the steering wheel orbraking suddenly can cause you to lose control;• check for ice: always remember that bridgesand overpasses (especially areas in theshade) will freeze faster than normal, sobe careful driving in these places;• black ice is dangerous: it is ice that isdifficult to see because it is transparentand takes on the colour of the road; and• watch for animals: most highways inNew Brunswick pass through forests wherelarge animals such as deer and moose live.They may cause serious accidents whenthey try to cross roads.• Be extra careful at night time.Orientation guide for newcomers to New Brunswick71