CRACKING DOWN ON IMPAIRED DRIVING

The Federal Government Is Invoking Stiffer Laws To Reduce Impaired
Driving. Finally.

Those who are caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
are subject to more severe penalties, including higher maximum
sentences, and mandatory jail time for repeat offenders. Finally.

It's the irresponsible impaired drivers who are responsible for the
deaths of far too many people each year. Sadly, in many cases, the
impaired drivers are not the ones hurt or killed in the collisions they cause.

The new rules took effect earlier this month, and police now have
access to the tools to test if someone is under the influence of
drugs. Those who drive stoned are as much a risk as those who drive
drunk. Impaired driving is impaired driving. Whether you're drunk,
stoned, or simply too tired to be on the road, you're a danger to
those around you.

The Press applauds the steps taken by the feds to ensure all
Canadians live happy and healthy lives.

According to the Canada Safety Council, the rate of impaired driving
incidents has dropped by about 65 per cent since its peak in 1981,
and the number of deaths and injuries related to impaired driving
have gone down by almost half since 1986. But there are still too many.

The Canada Safety Council reports that impaired driving accounts for
about 12 per cent of all cases heard in court, making it the largest
category of offenses.

Statistics Canada says police charged 67,000 drivers over the age of
16 with being impaired in 2007, but these numbers only include
Criminal Code violations, not provincial charges, which leave out a
lot of offenders.

Young drivers - 19 to 24-year-olds - continue to have the highest
rates for impaired driving, representing 56 per cent of all reported
criminal incidents, according to Statistics Canada.

It's organizations like OSAID (Ontario Students Against Impaired
Driving) - the local chapter at North Dundas District High School is
still going strong - that help raise awareness about impaired driving
and the issues, but it's the federal laws that will make a bigger impact.

SD&G OPP officers have been out in force conducting R.I.D.E. (reduce
impaired driving everywhere) stops. Where at 11 am, 8 pm, or 1 am,
the officers are doing their best to keep impaired drivers off the road.

Each week the Press's police blotter has at least one impaired
driving charge noted. It's sad that it's such a common occurrence.
Perhaps these new stiffer laws will be enough to end this primitive
practice. M.D.