Impaired driving high in Sask.
Saskatchewan drivers continue to get behind the wheel after drinking, and that has attracted the attention of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
On Thursday, Andrew Murie, CEO of MADD Canada, was in Regina where he talked about Saskatchewan’s impaired driving rates and proposed some possible changes to bring
“WE KNOW THERE IS MORE WORK TO DO.”
DON MCMORRIS
that number down.
He said in order to make a positive change when it comes to impaired drivers, the government needs to focus on changing the penalties for the offence, increase enforcement of impaired driving laws, and education.
The impaired driving statistics released by Statistics Canada show that the province’s rates have increased.
According to the numbers, in 2011 there were 7,229 impaired driving incidents at a rate of 683 times per 100,000 people of all ages. This rate is a two-per-cent increase over the previous year.
Saskatchewan had the highest rate. Only Yukon and Northwest Territories had worse rates.
Murie told the government about some of the strategies that are working in other provinces.
B.C. has introduced higher penalties for those are caught driving with a blood-alcohol content of less than .08 but more than .04.
B.C. drivers face an automatic seven-day driving suspension and their vehicle is impounded for seven days.
In Saskatchewan the penalty is a 24-hour suspension.
In Ontario, the province has implemented a zero blood-alcohol content limit for all drivers 22 years of age and under. Murie said this has decreased the death rate there by 25 per cent.
“These are things that made a significant impact on young people and people who are killed by drunk drivers,” said Murie.
He also is encouraging the province to increase enforcement of the laws.
Don McMorris, minister of highways and infrastructure, said the province has been tracking the number of collisions, injuries and fatalities on Saskatchewan roads for a number of years and is aware of the increase in collisions where alcohol was a contributing factor.
“Having seen that, we know there is more work to do and we have to continue to drive those numbers down,” said McMorris. “We have taken a number of steps over the past five years to try and reduce the number of drinking and driving collisions.”
Some of those initiatives include the RID (Report Impaired Drivers) Program, SGI Safe Ride, which is SGI’s safe-driver application, and Operation Over Drive, where RCMP target impaired driving.
“There are programs in place and 120 more officers working, but more needs to be done and we’re looking at best practices from across Canada to see what next steps need to be taken,” said McMorris. “We have to look at all the options and determine which ones will be most effective here in Saskatchewan.”
Murie and McMorris agree that more education needs to take place to encourage drivers not to get behind the wheel after drinking.
“It’s not like we don’t have legislation in place,” said McMorris. “Sometimes it’s pure education and making sure people understand what the laws are and what their responsibilities are. Because, ultimately, it’s the driver’s responsibility whether they drink or drive, whether they exceed the speed limit or whether they are texting and driving. We have legislation in place, but maybe we need to do more work into the future so people know the impact of these behaviours.”