INTOXICATION NOT TOLERATED

This July, Alberta's highways will be safer because drivers who have
driven while under the influence will be forced to buckle down.

As of July 1, Alberta drivers who are convicted of having twice the
legal limit or higher of alcohol will have to attach alcohol sensors
to their vehicles.

The sensors prevent a car from starting until the driver blows into
it. If a certain amount of alcohol is detected, the vehicle will not
start. After a six-month period, a review is conducted to determine
whether or not the device should be removed.

The convicted driver will have to pay to have the device installed as
well as pay for the monthly monitoring fee.

While the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle is a blood
alcohol content of .08, the device is only enforced when the limit is
double that.

But what about the individual with a level at .09 or .10? Should he
or she not face the same consequences?

Is drinking under the influence not the same, no matter what your
blood alcohol content is?

This should be applied to all drivers who choose to get behind the
wheel intoxicated -- not just for their safety, but also for that of
others. With stupid decisions can come a disastrous and life changing
outcome -- one far worse than getting a device attached to your ignition.

The other change coming to increase the safety of those on the road
the same time as intoxicated persons are comes in the form of a
change in the Criminal Code of Canada, starting July 2.

The Criminal Code has been amended and drivers under the influence of
illegal drugs can be asked more than a few questions.

DRE's -- Drug Recognition Experts -- will be hitting the streets, and
have the power to spot motorists driving under the influence of drugs.

Police who suspect a driver is under the influence can demand a
sample of their bodily fluids, such as a urine sample.

Twenty-two Alberta cops have now completed the training.

Although small in number, as years go on, the number of experts will grow.

These experts, under the Criminal Code, can get a urine, blood or
saliva sample from an intoxicated motorist to determine whether they
are in fact driving under the influence.

DRE's began in California in the 1970s and the program was introduced
in British Columbia in 1995.

Keeping the roads safe from intoxicated drivers, whether due to
alcohol or drugs, is another step in the right direction for
motorists. With the recent accidents in Edmonton involving alcohol
contributing to the loss of another life, it is paramount the
programs are not only enforced, but monitored for accuracy and efficiency.

Lives depend on it.