HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2002-02-13, Page 6INCLUDES...
• New filter, installed
• Up to 5L
10W30 motor oil
• Chassis lube
(if applicable)
• Comprehensive 55 pt.
check over with report card
346 Huron Rd, Goderich
524-9381 • 1-800-338-11
NOTICE OF
ANNUAL MEETING
The 126th Annual Meeting of the Members
will be held in the
OFFICE BUILDING
of
McKillop Mutual
Insurance Company
91 Main Street South, SEAFORTH, Ontario
on
Wed., February 27, 2002
at 1:30 p.m.
• To receive and dispose of the 2001 financial
statement and auditor's report:
• To appoint auditors;
• To consider and enact proposed amendments
to By-Law No. 33 (remuneration)
• To transact any other business that may
properly come before the meeting;
• To elect a qualified Director to fill the vacancy
of the position held by Alex Townsend;
• To elect three qualified Directors;
• The retiring Directors are Eric Anderson,
Stuart Wilson and Jeff Campbell. Eric
Anderson and Jeff Campbell Ore eligible for
re-election. Stuart Wilson has chosen not to
seek re-election.
• Any person wishing to seek election or re-
election as a Director must file his intention to
stand for election in writing with the Secretary
of the Company at least seven days in
advance of the Annual Meeting
(By-Law No. 21 (d) ).
Ken Jones
Secretary-Treasurer-Manager
For constituents to meet
Helen Johns, M.P.P. Huron-Bruce
At the Bainton Gallery, Memorial Hall, Blyth
Friday, February 15th, 2002
8:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.
For coffee and conversation on issues of importance to you
Delegations are asked to book an appointment at the
constituency office at (519) 524-2979
0,01V)MW)WRIOOMWTWKATh
PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2002.
Letter to the editor
MADD urges for lowering of legal limit
THE EDITOR,
A recent letter from Emile-J.
Therien, president Canada Safety
Council which appeared in The
Listowel Banner suggested that
lowering blood alcohol concentration
in the Criminal Code will not reduce
the incidence of impaired driving.
Perth County is not covered by our
chapter but in all fairness to the
residents of Perth County, we have
attached MADD Canada's response to
this. We strongly urge the residents of
Perth County to form their own
MADD Chapter.
The scary truth about impaired
driving in Canada
By Andrew W. Murie, BA, MA
National Executive Director of
MADD Canada
MADD Canada, since its inception
in 1990, has always encouraged the
Canadian public to separate the two
activities of drinking and driving. If
you drink, please don't drive.
Considerable progress was made in
the 1980s and early 1990s in the fight
against impaired driving. Since then,
progress has slowed. Canada needs to
refocus its energy on impaired
driving, the country's number one
criminal cause of death.
MADD Canada recently proposed
to the former federal justice minister
that the Criminal Code BAC (blood
alcoh61 concentration) limit be
lowered to 0.05 per cent. In a recently
survey done for MADD Canada, 66
per cent of Canadians supported
lowering the Criminal Code BAC
level to 0.05 per cent. In fact, if the
Canadian public understood the
number of drinks.an individual could
consume under the current law,
support for a 0.05 per cent limit would
likely increase dramatically.
MADD Canada also presented to
the former Justice Minister 18
recommendations, in addition to the
0.05 per cent BAC recommendation.
Some of these other recommendations
include giving police more powers to
do their jobs (powers that police have
in most other democratic countries).
Additionally, MADD Canada
recommended testing for drug-
impaired drivers and eliminating
house arrest (conditional sentences)
for those who choose to drink, drive
and then kill or injure innocent
victims.
The issue of impaired driving is a
complex issue that requires a
comprehensive solution. MADD
Canada's recommendations include
general ones, like lowering the BAC
to 0.05 per cent and very specific
ones, like increasing the ability for
police to demand blood samples from
suspected drinking drivers.
The lowering of BAC to 0.05 per
cent will reduce the number of
drinking drivers on our roads. The
research is consistent and 'strong.
Every country that has lowered its
BAC limits, has experienced positive
traffic safety benefits. It is for these
reasons that virtually every leading
medical, accident prevention and
traffic safety organization in the woad
supports a BAC limit of 0.05 per cent.
It will deter those -who drive at all
BAC levels, including those so-called
"hard-core" drinking drivers. Indeed,
in Sweden and the Australian Capital
Territory the decreases in impaired
driving were greatest among those in
the highest BAC levels.
Granted there are differences in the
exact traffic safety benefits achieved
in various countries, but these appear
to reflect the other impaired driving
initiatives that are in place.
MADD Canada wants the Canadian
public to understand what the current
0.08 per cent BAC level means, in
terms of real-world drinking patterns.
Given the margin of errors accepted
by our courts, police agencies will
rarely ever lay criminal charges
unless the driver's BAC is .10 per
cent or above. Thus, a 200 lb. man can
drink almost six regular beers (12 oz.,
five per cent alcohol by volume) in
two hours and get behind the wheel of
a car, reasonably confident that he
will not be charged. We find the
The island population is getting
smaller and your opportunity to
influence the choice of the survivor
is getting shorter. Eric Coates went
last week and now it is the turn of
Fran Cook to be thrown to the
sharks.
Readers of The Citizen have sent
in nearly 200 ballots mercilessly
whittling down the island's
inhabitants. Who do you want to
reality of the current BAC level scary,
but nevertheless the Canadian public
deserves to know the truth!
Lowering the BAC to 0.05 per cent
will not criminalize social drinkers.
First, police probably would not lay
Criminal Code charges until a driver's
BAC is 0.07 per cent or above. This
means that our 200 lb. man could still
drink four regular beers without
exceeding the real-world level at
which he would likely be charged.
Obviously, this does not mean MADD
Canada is encouraging people to
drink and drive. Rather, MADD
Canada wants to tell the Canadian
public the truth.
Clearly, lowering the BAC limit to
0.05 per cent will have no impact on
the individual who has a glass of wine
with dinner or a beer after we*. In
fact, if all drinking drivers had just
one drink, we wouldn't have a drunk
driving problem in Canada.
Critics have complained that
lowering the BAC to 0.05 per cent
would overwhelm our police and
courts. This argument ignores that
lowering the limit would deter
impaired driving. Interestingly, there
are no reports of police or courts
being overwhelmed from countries
who have lowered their BAC limits:.
Critics have raised concerns about
spiraling costs of enforcement. Again,
this argument ignores the deterrent
impact of lowering BAC limits. Even
if a 0.05 per cent BAC limit
marginally .increases these costs, it
would be offset many times over by
the savings to the health and social
service sectors.
Moreover, this focus on dollars
completely ignores the reductions in
alcohol death and injuries from
lowering the BAC. There is no
save and who should be forced to
swim for shore? If you wait too long
your survivor may need to find
water-wings.
The only way to help your friends
on the island is to condemn someone
else so don't be shy. Find a good
excuse and vote early and vote often.
Keep in mind that each ballot
must be an original- from The
Citizen.
monetary equKalent to the suffering
of victims and their families from the
tragic consequences of impaired
driving.
Let's stop all the hype, fear
mongering and emotion. Let's look at
the facts about the current BAC limit,
as frightening as they are. Let's
acknowledge what the rest of the
world already knows, that lowering
fhe BAC limits means saving fives.
The unvarnished truth is, our
current BAC limit is protecting those
who drink and drive at dangerous
levels. Isn't it about time that
Canada's criminal laws protected the
interest of the overwhelming
majority, namely the safe, sober and
responsible users of our roadways.
Dwayne Evans, Sandra Lee
Another survivor falls