The message doesn’t always get through
Despite having some of the toughest laws in the country against drinking and driving, two high profile incidents that made headlines during the postholiday period seem to show the message about the dangers of getting behind the wheel after drinking still hasn’t hit home for some people.
One case involved a truly innocent victim in the person of musician Adam MacGregor, who was planning on ringing in the New Year by playing a gig at the Grand Victorian in Victoria-By-The-Sea. He pulled up to the front door and went inside to find out where he should unpack his equipment, leaving his car running on a cold night.
MacGregor noted in several media interviews he left the vehicle going in case the security detail hired for the event had to move it because it was blocking traffic.
The vehicle was moved all right, but not by security. A man at the event, who was asked to leave by that same security team due to a high degree of intoxication, stole the vehicle and got to Stratford before he was pulled over by police.
While MacGregor was allowed to retrieve his musical equipment, he was told the vehicle would be impounded for 30 days under a new law that came into effect last year in the latest effort by successive provincial governments to crack down on impaired driving.
He was initially told he would have to pay the daily impound fee of approximately $20 a day. However, that requirement was dropped after the RCMP was satisfied the vehicle had been stolen, and MacGregor now has his car back.
The other incident involved the court case of Harold Lloyd Palmer. He pleaded guilty to a charge of failing the breathalyzer following an accident on July 4 of last year. He drove his car off the road and took a swing at a paramedic who attended the scene. The court heard Palmer’s blood alcohol reading was more than five times the legal limit of .08 and an officer who responded to the call indicated he had never before come across somebody with that level of impairment. Palmer, who will be sentenced in February, has a previous alcohol related conviction.
Will the sentence these two receive from the courts alter their behavior in the future? It would be nice to think so, but don’t bet the farm on it. In the case of Mr. Palmer, his earlier brush with the law obviously didn’t have much of an impact.
Those involved with the judicial system, including everybody from legislators to police officers to Crown lawyers and judges are clearly frustrated cases like this keep happening despite their best efforts.
All of us have a responsibility to report suspected drunk drivers. While it may not be the popular thing to do, it is the best course of action in the long run.