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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2006. PAGE 21.
Drunk driving: the responsibility question
A tragic impaired driving case has
ended up in the Supreme Court of
Canada.
In the early hours of Jan. 1, 1999,
a drunk driver crashed head-on into a
car, killing a young man and
seriously injuring a young woman,
who is now a paraplegic. The young
woman wishes to sue the hosts of the
party which the driver had just left.
The event that led to the crash was
a New Year's party. However, many
other occasions — for example, the
Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup —
trigger parties throughout the year.
In fact, impaired driving peaks in the
summer, when people drink at
outdoor terraces, festivals, golf,
barbecues and other vacation
activities.
Whatever the Supreme Court
decides, the Canada Safety Council
recommends that party hosts
monitor and supervise the service
and consumption of alcohol. The
Council is also focusing on the need
for preventive programs targeting
hard core drinking drivers.
The Responsible Host
If you plan to host a party, check
your insurance to see if it covers any
incident that may occur on (or as a
result of actions on) your property.
The Canada Safety Council offers
some practical advice:
1. Either don't drink or limit your
own consumption of alcohol so you
can be aware of how much your
guests are drinking.
2. Know your guests - it is much
easier to track the changes in
behaviour of those you know.
Inviting strangers increases risk.
3. Monitor and supervise the
serving of alcohol. Designate non-
drinkers to do this. A "bartender"
should control the size and number
of drinks.
4. Keep the focus off alcohol. Serve
lots of food that has protein and fat
- salt encourages more drinking
and sugar does not mix well with
alcohol. Have plenty of non-
alcoholic choices. For drinks, offer
non-alcoholic choices.
5. See guests in and out. Greet all
guests on arrival and departure,
taking the opportunity to assess
their condition.
6. If a guest is drunk, encourage
him or her to give you their car
keys. Buddy up with a friend to
persuade the intoxicated person to
take a cab.
7. Keep the phone numbers of cab
companies handy and tell the guest
that a cab has been ordered. Don't
give the option to refuse.
8. If the guest is very drunk, keep
that person with you until they have
sobered or can be left with a sober
responsible person.
9. Only time will sober the person,
not more fluids or food. Offering a
spare bed is a good recourse.
10. If the person refuses to hand
over the car keys or spend the night
at your house, call the police. It
may seem drastic, but it could be a
choice of an upset friend or far
more tragic consequences.
The Irresponsible Driver
The fact is, a few hard core
drinking drivers are responsible for
most of the drunk driving problem.
The Canada Safety Council is a
sponsor of the Road Safety Monitor,
a Canada-wide telephone survey of
Canadian drivers. Its December
2005 report on drinking and driving
confirmed once again that a small
group of drivers (less than three
percent) accounted for 84 per cent of
all reported impaired driving trips.
The driver in the case before the
Supreme Court has the typical
characteristics of a chronic offender:
• They drink frequently, and often
to excess.. Many are alcohol
dependent. (This driver had a
longstanding drinking problem.)
• They repeatedly drive after
drinking. Canada's penalties for
impaired driving, among the
harshest in the developed world, do
not deter them. (Obviously true in
this case.)
• When they drink and drive, their
blood alcohol concentration (BAC)
is two to three times the legal limit.
(The driver's BAC was three times
the legal limit following the crash.)
• Many have previously been
convicted for impaired driving.
(The driver had two previous
convictions and was driving an
uninsured vehicle.)
From a safety perspective, the
chronic drunk driver is a hard nut to
crack. He (most are men) does not
believe his behavior poses a risk to
his own safety or the safety of
others. Public policy must continue
to target this hard core group with
preventive programs.
Above all, effective rehabilitation
is vital to prevent these individuals
from re-offending. Such programs
are already being implemented
across Canada. Other
countermeasures include licence
suspensions, vehicle impoundment
and alcohol ignition interlock
programs.
According to statistics for 2003
Continued from page 19
Federal Crown Mike Donnelly
said that on Oct. 6 police had been
directed to a park by a complainant
who said there were three males
there smoking marijuana. A clear
bag, containing a small amount of
marijuana was found in the right
front pocket of the accused.
He was fined $200 to be paid in 30
days.
UTTER THREAT
Christopher J. Ward of Wingham
pled guilty to uttering a threat.
Hill said an officer spoke with the
victim Aug. 12 who said she had
been threatened by the accused two
nights prior in front of witnesses.
Though there was discrepancy on
the actual words of the threat, Ward
admitted that he did threaten her.
Attorney Phil Cornish said that the
words were "obviously grossly
inappropriate," but "not uncommon
dramatics and tensions that occur
among young people."
Ward was given a conditional
discharge and 12 months probation
during which he is to have no
contact with the victim.
He is prohibited from owning
weapons for five years
(the latest available), road crashes drivers increased by 11 per cent.
involving a .driver who had been The fact fewer Canadians are
drinking killed 902 people. Of these, being killed in crashes involving
half (450) were drivers who were alcohol is encouraging. Nonetheless,
legally impaired — definitely not drunk driving still causes far too
innocent victims. Fatalities in 2003 many tragedies on our roads. The
were down 30 per cent from 1995, chronic offender is the biggest
when 1,296 motor vehicle deaths challenge to further progress.
involved a drinking driver. During - Canada Safety Council
that period the, number of licensed January 18, 2006
Man fined $200
on marijuana charge
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