Stiffer impaired driving penalties may soon greet Alberta drivers
By: Derek Clouthier
Much like the rest of the country has already experienced, Albertans may soon see stiffer penalties for drivers whose blood/alcohol level is between .05 per cent and .07 per cent.
Andrew Murie, chief executive officer for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada, is a strong supporter of the new law, but said there is one aspect of the legislation that many don’t realize.
“Alberta’s had for about 20 years the .05 level,” he explained, “and the only thing that’s changed in the new proposed Bill 26 is that the sanctions for being above that level have changed quite dramatically.”
Currently, offenders are given a 24-hour driver’s license suspension, regardless of how many times they are charged. The new law would see more of a tiered system come into play: The first offense would result in a three-day license suspension and the wrongdoer’s vehicle being impounded for the duration of the suspension; for the second transgression there would be a 15-day deferment coupled with a seven-day vehicle impoundment; and the third offense would bring a 30-day hold on one’s license and a one week vehicle impoundment.
“That’s why they have been basically ineffective,” said Murie of the existing impaired driving laws. “It’s not that it’s not at the right blood/alcohol level, the sanctions haven’t done enough to deter the people from driving at that level or above.”
British Columbia and Ontario have had similar laws passed, both addressing the .05 – .07 blood/alcohol range, while Saskatchewan went even further, moving the limit to .04.
In a recent news release, MADD indicated that 20 per cent of all fatal alcohol-related crashes are the cause of a driver with a blood/alcohol level under .08 per cent.
Quebec is the only province that has not altered its impaired driving laws.
Murie stressed that there are two main reasons for the change.
“Nobody should be driving above .05 because they’re impaired,” he said. “The second part is that when you lower BAC (blood alcohol content) levels they affect all levels of people who drink and drive, and in fact, they have the biggest impact on the people who are double the legal limit…that’s where the evidence is.”
Murie highlighted that BC has seen a 45 per cent decrease in alcohol-related deaths in the first year.
“It’s natural to think ‘why that level?’ but it affects all levels because it’s a general-population deterrent…it’s like wearing your seatbelt; it doesn’t matter if you don’t wear it twice a year, or a hundred times…it affects everyone.”
Murie said people are generally in favour of the stiffer impaired driving laws, as they understand that it does not target ‘social’ drinkers, but rather repeat offenders.
Alberta is one of the last provinces to look at implementing this new legislation.
The Wild Rose province ranks higher than the national average when it comes to impaired driving, with 44 per cent of vehicular deaths being alcohol related. The national average is 37 per cent, with Saskatchewan being the worst offender in the low 50 per-cent range and Ontario the lowest at 24 per cent.
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It is one thing to have rights and another thing to take a life, laws are created because of families having to grieve for love ones not returning home just to hear they have gone never to laugh, argue, or that someone to lean on in times of bad days. While you get slap with jail time, a record, and regrets, taking someones freedom is not the same as taking a life. This is home for ALL Canadians like that of yours and you do anything to keep your home and family safe, thank you MADD my family and I support your cause. Alison Redford we love you and the job you have done in a short period of time you are a leader and a true politician not taking politics literally!