Canadian motorists who still believe that driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs is no big deal should probably think again in light of tough new legislation that has come into effect this month.
Whether the changes will lead to fewer fatalities and injuries caused by drunk and/or stoned drivers remains to be seen. What is known is that police have been given new tools aimed at keeping roadways safe while making criminals pay an ever-heavier cost for their dangerous and selfish misbehaviour.
The new legislation allows police officers to demand a breathalyzer test from any driver regardless of whether the officer believes the motorist is impaired. The process is called mandatory screening.
In the past, officers needed to have a reasonable suspicion of impairment before demanding the test.
As well, the new law increases the maximum penalties for many alcohol-involved driving offences from five to 10 years.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada (MADD) officials are applauding the changes, saying they will hopefully lead to more impaired drivers being caught while deterring motorists from even considering driving after drinking or using cannabis.
“It is probably the significant change in legislation around impaired driving since the breathalyzer was brought in in 1969. It will have a huge impact right away,” said MADD Canada CEO Andrew Murie.
“The likelihood of getting caught is fairly narrow under our current system. That is (now) going to change.”
According to the federal justice department, allowing police to conduct mandatory screening during traffic stops will help them better detect impaired drivers and thereby reduce the risk to the public at large.
A number of countries, including Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany and Ireland, have already introduced mandatory screening and have reportedly seen a decrease in impaired driving deaths as a result.
In Ireland for example, the screenings have been credited for a 40 per cent reduction in alcohol-related road deaths over the past four years.
Hopefully Canada’s experience with mandatory screening will have similar results, making drivers, passengers and pedestrians safer in 2019.
Dan Singleton is the Mountain View Gazette editor
