IMPAIRED IS IMPAIRED, BOOZE OR NO BOOZE

RCMP

A policing trend which has recently gained attention on the Lower Mainland
applies equally in Port Alberni, according to the acting RCMP commander.

Over the weekend, it was announced that in one urban CounterAttack road
check, police issued seven 24-hour roadside suspensions to drivers
suspected of being impaired by substances other than alcohol. The Canadian
criminal code has always given police that option, according to Staff Sgt.
Lee Omilusik.

"You can be convicted of impaired driving or driving with a blood/alcohol
content over .08 per cent," Omilusik explained. Typically, a suspect is
charged with both offences, and, in the case of a guilty plea, will select
one or the other for the permanent record.

Omilusik said the RCMP now trains drug recognition experts (DRE) who are
qualified to evaluate whether a suspect is impaired by a substance other
than alcohol.

"Right now, we have to bring in DREs from other areas (for CounterAttack
road checks), because we don't have one right now," Omilusik said.

The DRE undergoes training to learn to identify the various symptoms of
drug use, both prescription and illicit. Omilusik said drug interaction is
a common problem.

"Sometimes we get people who are taking prescription medication and then
consume alcohol," he said. Officers use a an approved roadside screening
device to get a rough picture of a subject's blood/alcohol level, using
three levels: Pass (under .05), Warn (.05 to .08) and Fail (over .08)

"A Warn gets you a 24-hour suspension, and a Fail gets you a breathalyzer
test," Omilusik said. That is performed back at the RCMP detachment.

But if the subject gets a Pass and is still behaving questionably, the
officer still has recourse to investigate further, Omilusik said.

"If they're sober or straight and just driving erratically, an officer can
lay a dangerous driving charge (criminal code) or driving without due care
and attention (Motor Vehicle Act), or he can still proceed to a 24-hour
suspension," Omilusik said. But don't even think about haggling for a
better deal with an officer who's investigating you for impaired driving,
he added.

"You're not going to get a bunch of options and be asked which one you want
to pick," Omilusik said.

Omilusik also noted another seasonal subject for police: driving according
to weather conditions. Local RCMP are now seeing a number of
weather-related motor vehicle accidents. And it's invariably because the
drivers have been driving too fast on icy roads.

"With the colder weather, the roads are getting slippery - especially in
shaded areas," he said. Even if the posted speed limit is 50 km/hr, you can
still be ticketed for going 50 under icy conditions, Omilusik said.