IMPAIRED CHARGES SHOULD RELY ON DRIVER'S ACTIONS

Re: 'Drug-using drivers are new target' (Daily News, March 16)

When a driver is driving erratically and swerving on the road, they
are likely impaired and pose a risk to others. That's why impairment
is determined by performance, not what a driver has consumed.

Concluding that someone is impaired based on the substances in their
body, rather than their performance on the road, is not about
detecting and stopping impaired driving at all.

The drug recognition experts are seeking out and punishing marijuana
users, not just impaired drivers. Performance, not the contents of
one's body fluids, should be the deciding factor when it comes to
detecting impairment.

Jody Emery

Vancouver