HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1969-12-22, Page 8Provincial Police Constable Tom Jansen, one of three Goderich detachment men trained to
administer blood alcohol tests on the breathalyzer, has an empty chair waiting and hopes Huron
County motorists will keep it that way, this holiday season by not driving after drinking. — Staff
Photo.
Praise breath test law
0
WOO
ISNES
' Our thoughts
at this time give
rise to many wishes . .
bright Christmas wishes for you and your
family. May this be the happiest,
most fun-filled holiday you've ever had.
And for your patronage, our thanks!
MANAGEMENT and ST FIF
yours hydro
CU TO
PUBLIC TILMES
COMMISSION
Fri. E. HARTLEY
Chairman
Clinton. CommEzeial TintET1
_fimiteci
Laurie Colquhoun
Tom Colquhoun
John Robinson
Pearl Hartman
• • I
4t this crisp and exciting time of year, we are hopeful
that your holiday will be filled with joyous warmth, richly
shared with those you hold dear. And to
you, our customers, we express our thanks and appreciation
' for your continued patronage. ?Kerry Christmas!
from
•THE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF CLINTON
CB/411)4 FEED MILL
OUR TEMPORARY WAREHOUSE
IS ON
4 Clinton News-Record, Monday, December 1969
The Borkenstein BrPathalyzerl ,
a compact little machine that,
weighs only 14 lbs., does a job
out of Proportion to its size.
If a person is detained by' the
police on suspicion of driVing
while impaired, this is the device
he would be tested on in.
Ontario. It registers
blood-alcohol content with a
high degree of accuracy,
providing proof admissible' in all
Ontario courts;No toy, it carries
a price tag of about $1,000
retail. Breathalyzers are located
in O.P.P. detachments across
Ontario, as well as in city police
divisions in larger urban areas
throughout the province.
The Breathalyzer is tested
twice to ensure complete
accuracy •before it is used on a
subject — first with room air,.
then with a standard mixture of
alcohol in air. Then the
instrument is cleared and is
ready for use.
The subject blows into a thin
tube which leads into a cylinder
contained in the machine. His
breath pushes up a piston. As
the piston rises, it uncovers air
vents which let the first part of
his breath escape. When the
subject stops blowing, the piston
settles, trapping the last portion
of air the subject has exhaled —
the deep-lung sample needed for
accurate analysis of
blood-alcohol content.
In the second part of the
analysis, the deep-lung sample is
bubbled into a • pre-tested
ampoule which contains a'
chemical solution sensitive to
the presence of alcohol. This
solution is strong yellow in
color. Alcohol causes it to
become paler.
The Breathalyzer then
measures the decrease in the
yellow color that accompanies
the reaction by passing light
through the solution. ,It will be
more penetrable to light than
the other untouched control
ampoule contained in the
Breathalyzer. The difference in
readings is registered on the
machine, giving the amount of
alcohol present in each 10_0
millilitres of the subject's blood.
The subject is given the
benefit of the doubt in
Breathalyzer tests. Although his
breath may register .088 alcohol
0:ipsotrip ti on, .the reading is
alWays round down to the'
BY THE CANADA
SAFETY COUNCIL
The much-needed compulsory
breath test legislation has come
into force in Canada. Its main'
aim is to reduce traffic accidents
caused by drinking drivers.
The Canada Safety Council is
in full support of the new law
and urges everybody connected
with safety to back up the
legislation. The Canadian
Highway Safety Council,
predecessor to the CSC, first
proposed such a law 10 years
ago.
Council witnesses testified in
favor of the compulsory breath
analysis legislation before the
Commons Standing Committee
on Justice' "and Legal Affairs
which investigated the matter in
1966.
Council again re-affirmed its
support' of the law earlier this
year when the legislation was
before Parliament.
Alcohol is a major contributor
to the epidemic loss of life and
limb on Canada's highways.
Earlier this year, the Traffic
Injury Research Foundation
published a solidly-documented
report showing alcohol was
involved in 54.5 percent of
1,163 Canadian driver deaths
studied and that 43 percent of
them had blood alcohol
concentrations of 0.10% or
higher.
Motorists should take special
notice' of the wording of the
Criminal Code regarding
"drinking and driving."
Convictions under the
impairment or point zero eight
sections of the code refer to
persons who drive or have the
care or control of a motor
vehicle, whether it is in motion
or not.
There was every indication in
the report that drinking drivers
contributed to many of the
deaths of non-drinking drivers.
The new Federal law makes it
an offence to be in control of a
Half auto dead
were impaired
The drinking driver is a very
serious problem in Ontario.
Statistics for 1968 show that
23.7 per cent of drivers involved
in fatal collisions had been
drinking or were impaired.
Even more startling are'figures
which show that .44kper cent
of drivers killed , in,, traffic
collisions had been drinking or
had impaired ability.
Through the years 1966-67,
1,287 drivers died in traffic
collisions. Of these, 881 were
tested for alcohol, and 50 per
cent of those tested were
positive. In 80 per cent of 'the
cases where alcohol was found,
blood alcohol concentrations of
point one per, cent (.10) and
higher were indicated.
During 1968, a ' total of
14,402: Ontario drivers lost their
privilege to drive because of
intoxicated or impairment
convictions.
Intoxication accounted for
434. The other 14,058 were '
convicted of impairment..
The code reads: "Where it is
proved that the accused
occupied the seat ordinarily
occupied by the driver of a
motor vehicle, he shall be
deemed to have had the care or
control of the vehicle unless he
establishes that he did not enter
or mount the vehicle for the
purpose of setting it in motion."
motor vehicle if the driver has a
blood alcohol concentration of
more than 0.08%. A driver who
refuses to take the breath
analysis test when requested by
a peace officer is guilty of a
Criminal offence carrying the
same penalty.
Both offences are punishable
by a fine of up to $1,000 and up
to six months imprisonment.
The driver can also be banned
from the roads for up to three
years.
The latest figures cover
October, 1968 to May, 1969.
They show a decrease of 14% in
fatalities as compared to the
same 10 months just prior to
introduction of the law. Serious
ininries•were down 10%.
"Even more striking was the
decrease in fatalities and serious
injuries in the period between 10
p.m. and four a.m. — 25%.
' Traffic increased 7% over the
two years and alcohol
consumption 5% annually. There
are strong indications that more
alcohol is being consumed at
home and less in the famous
pubs. In other words, there is
less driving after drinking, a
result there is every reason to
believe the new legislation will
also have in Canada.
mar* low, .4olt ,of .teo which
In this, case .W.6414
Two ,samples of the subject's
breath .are tested to make sure of
complete accuracy, Usually the
;tpsts are speed about 15
minutes apart, The, total time.
faken for the—Breathalyzer test
would range from one hour to.
"en hour hnd a half.'
The Breathalyzer has proved.
,be invaluable in another way,
has often helped police to
detect people who .ahow signs of
intoxicated behaviour due to
epilepsy, concussion, heart
attack, ..diabeste4, overdoses of
inOlin or - the use of drugs such
as barbiturates and
tranqiiilltiers. When the subject
registers little or no alcohol in
his .system;' police can then take
steps him fast medical
attention.,. •
A strong weapon in the war
for highway safety this New
Year's holiday is in the hands of
the police and courts. This
'weapon is the mandatory use of
the, breathalyzer test for
impaired driving suspects on the
recommendation of a police
officer.
"For the violators own good
and for the good of the general
public," W. S. Chalmers, safety
director, Dominion Automobile
Association said„"we hope this
weapon is used diligently across
the nation."
Mr. Chalmers pointed out
that, "thciusands of accidents
occur each New Year's Eve and
New Year's Day from driving
while under the influene of
alcohol. Tragically, many who
die because of these accidents,
are innocent victims."
Mr. Chalmers said. that "three
.12-ounce glasses of beer can
significantly impair the driving
of a man weighing 150 pounds,
and four glasses of beer can
impair a 200-pound man's
co:ordination 12 percent and
show .08 blood alcohol level in a
breathalyzer test, which is
legally sufficient for conviction.
Six glasses of beer for a man
weighing 159: pounds increases
his accident probability six times:
eight glasses of beer
The new Criminal Code
amendments on drinking and
driving finds Ontario well
prepared. The Breathalyzer has
been in use in. Ontario on a
voluntary basis since 1956, two
years after it was invented and
put into production in the state
on New Jersey.
Ontario has a' large and
well-tkained force of.
Breathalyzer operators. Some
650 police officers have taken
the thorough, two-week courses
in Breathalyzer operation
conducted by •the Forensic
Sciences Centre of the
Department of Justice in
Toronto. About 400 are now
actively engaged in this work in.
Ontario. The R.C.M.P. also
conduct operators' courses
across Canada.
increases his accident probability
40 times.
Ten glasses of' beer and he is
obviously drunk, and the risk of
accident is extremely high.
Thances are you can recall
wl'tnessing drunks getting into
cars and driving off, and many
times you have said to yourself
`that drunk should be home in
bed, he's 'gonna kill somebody
someday,' By now, maybe he
has," commented Mr. Chalmers.
The general motoring public
looks to the police to eliminate
the potential killers on our
highways, says the D.A.A. Police
must strongly enforce traffic
laws. Courts must be stern in
punishing the convicted drunk
driver and impaired driver. It is
the only way we can protect him
and possibly an innocent family.
No motorist likes to be hit in
the pocketbook, lose his driver's
license, or go to jail. But hit
him hard once and he will think
twice before he attempts to
drink and drive again.
In short, crackdowns help
prevent crackups.
6cm4on'ti rectingt
from
New sofetryoopen -
Breathalyzer ready for use
Drinking and driving
o OU
all the joys and blessings-
of this glorious holiday season —
is the tradition we treasure, Merry Christmas,
SEASON'S GREETINGS TO ALL
Sunrise Dairy
Wingham
No milk delivery on Boxing Day
Delivery as usual on January 2
. STUDIO
Specializing in ...
* Weddings
* Children
Single or Group Portraits
and Passpor.ts
524-8787
118 St. David Goderich
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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL
J. & T. MURPHY LIMITED
10 little drivers, cruising down the line; one had a heavy
foot and then there were nine.
9 little drivers, the hour was getting late; one dozed a
moment and then there were eight.
8 little drivers, and the evening seemed like heaven; one
showed his driving skill, and then there were seven.
7 little drivers, their lives were full of kicks; one bought h
bottle and then there were six.
6 little drivers, impatient to arrive; one jumped a traffic
light, and then there were five.
5 little drivers, wheeling near the shore; one viewed the
scenery, and then there were four.
4 little drivers, happy as could be; one passed upon a hill;
and then there were three.
3 little drivers were busy, it is true; one neglected car
repairs, and then there were two.
2 little drivera, and day was nearly done; one didn't dim his
lights, and then there was one.
Yes, one little driver who's still alive today; by following
the safety rules, he hopes to stay that way.
(British Columbia MVB Bulletin)
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Crackdowns cut crackups
Chrysler Plymouth Fargo Sales and Service
Phone 482-9475 Huron Street Clinton, Ontario