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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1973-03-15, Page 15the Wilehl„f1000101$ 111, year 01 Whigliam Advance- m MoOot Forest Q derate resol 28.1500 people' i the PilearthillitoilYildWeStera. i0hstt►Icr» . ( ea 3.5 readerla each of :«300' mea,) in The List weI mer, The Winvitam Ad i nce4jmn s Forest Confetilerate by Wenger Oros. LiOtect Feature by Bonnie Stinson OPP Ontario Provincial Police are always on the lookout for trouble. If an officer on traffic patrol ob- serves a vehicle which he sus- pects is operated by a driver o impaired 'by alcohol or another drug, he knows what to do, "First we try to stop the car," explained Constable Alex Adam of the District 6 Ontario Provin- BRINGING THEM IN— Once the officer believes that the driver of a vehicle should take the breathalyzer test the sus- pect and the officer return to the station. Here Constable Harold Tighe poses as the unruly suspect, under the strong hold of Constable Glen O'Rourke. Staff Photo cial Police Department ion Mount Forest. "We then question the driver. If we feel that it is neces- sary we then -give him several co- ordination tests on the spot. "If the tests give us, more.rea- son to believe ouuspicions we ask the driver to accompany us back to the OPP station where a breathalyzer test can be adminis- tered." Back at the station, if the of- ficer is not a certified technician, one is called in. The technician then gives the suspect other phy- sical tests to better evaluate his condition. Each of the tests requires co-" ordination and muscle control. One such test requires the, sus- pect•to stand with eyes closedAnd arms extended from . the shoul- ders. He is then told to touch his nose with one of his fingers.. "All of the tests are first dem- onstrated by the officer," stated Constable Adam. "The sussect only has to follow directions but for some, it is very difficult:" When the physical tests have been 'completed the technician must also test the breathalyzer instrument to assure accuracy. Any inaccuracies in the instru- ment are usually in favor of the suspect. The suspect is then asked to , breathe into a small rubber tube on the top of the breathalyzer once and then &second sample of the suspect's breath is taken fif- teen minutes later. If the gauge on the breathalyzer reads an al- cohol content of .08 or over the suspect is charged. But not all suspects who get as far aai the:191:1), ' station and ;, breathalyzer test are intoxicated with alcohol. Sometimes the in- strument guage shows no alcohol blood ratio despite the" visible lack of co-ordination and control of the driver. The suspect ciiuld then be on some other drug or have a physical infirmity, un- known to himself, such as dia- betes. If such is the case the sus- pect is taken to hospital or ad- vised to see a doctor as soon as possible. Administering Tests To administer the Ontario breathalyzer tests police officers must first take a special course from the Department of the At- torney General in Forensic Sci= ences under the Ontario govern- ment. During the extensive course each officer must successfully complete both written and oral examinations. If the tests are passed then a certificate is issued and the officer becomes a certi- fied breathalyzer technician. "We have four operators here in the station," said Constable Adam. "We have all completed the course and have our car .. reeks. But each year we bare write another examination f the government to : seta °' certification." When asked if he believed th .t the .08 level was adequate :Con= stable Adam, explained, "Before took the course I wasn't vinced that the breathalyzer, accurate or that the ,06 rating was fair. After the course. how ever I was convinced of the curacy of the breathalyzer. I sonally believe that the_ .06 f0 alcohol level much too:high �tor safe operation of a motor. ire- hicle." During the course officers work with people who have parlous levels of -alcohol in then' bl stream. Tests are administr�red under controlled conditions to al low the officers to see the reac tion of individuals as:=the alco level • increases.. The Instrument The breathalyzer instrument, a heavy metal box, was first intro- duced to the District 'OPP office: in 1969. Each tune the breathalyzer is used the technician must first act-'.' minister especial controlled tests., on the instrument to insure its ac- curacy. The company which makes the breathalyzer does guarantee . - its accuracy," said Constable �. Adam, "but if the instrument ever lacks in precision it is to the advantage of the suspect." When the suspect breathes into the breathalyzer the alcohol con- tent of the suspect's body is measured. Although the blood tifiw tempt to change the charges or' to have them dre d but that is his job. He does his. I do mine." . our _. If the alcohol' blood ratio is over .08 the suspect is charged under , the criminal code and carries a police record. The penalty is. then left up to the discretion of the co 11. judge. 011 "What many suspects don't know is that if they agree to the breathalyzer test they have three aC- benefits. Any inaccuracies in the. l R' instrument are in the favor of the suspect. Before each test the breathalyzer is tested and taken back to a zero level. Thirdly if' `the suspect doesn't have the .. level of alcohol he laces a lesser 'charge." After the tests are.complete and if the suspect'is charged he is rr T_M1 • notretained in jail unlesstaboo:,: lutely. necessary. Ile : is usually released by the officer in;charge and left ia the custody of another' individual, The penalty faced by most per- sons charged in Ontario is very 1enient as compared to the punishment given elsewhere, A fine is not uncommon. In Norway however, wherethe legal blood alcohol lhnnit is .05, the lowest of the Scandinavian coup - tries, anyone found guilty of .ex- ceeding this.limit* is typically faced with 21 days in prison and his licence ; suspended for one year onthe--fist offence. Controversy.isastill; heard over the .08 : per 4 vent alcohol blood ratio whicha,is the accept- ed limit. Some still believe that .10 is more realistic while others argue. that .05 is a safer limit, The e difference en .05 d 08 per cent, in terms of >,allcohol,' 'consumed, is just about the dif- ference between, two and three drinks. If a 160 -lid man were to drink two ordinary Size drinks of beer, wine or hard liquor—an a few mutes, his alcohol blued'. level would rise to just about 05 per cent; if he made his two' drinks last an hour his' level.. would stay down well below .05--; closer to .03, which is not con- sidered sufficient to • impair most drivers. If he were to take three .drinks in a few minutes, his blood alco- hol level would;soar :to nearl he would ;have to space the , ee drinks over about . two. .tours, to keep it well 'below .05. drwould give him a: alcohol Jewel of about .10 drankthem one on top other; hhe would have to make four drinks ,last about tree one-half hours to .ft bel ► .05. As the blood ' •akobol level in- crgeneral wa tk +t ea�pt, eases be made formost'drivers. lose of deep muscle SOnee,,an increase, uh speed, an over ,application oI brakes; a tendency to wander out of their lane,misjtadgmentY their d tances� 1 when sL�_: and =tur , sah.Inabilityto quicklyany cancel .rea!o a..w n started,;' moreh candy, theta and fnabtiity to, seize.spi pent:when ' accelerating measure the alcohol percentag is still the most accurate, the breathalyzer is the next best method. Throughout Ontario the Bor- kenstien breathal,,yzer is used. According to Constable Adam the cost of the instrument is between $1,300 and $1,400. The Individual ' Despite the possibilities of fac- ing criminal charges if found with more than 80 milligrams of alcohol in the bloodstream while driving, individuals in District 6 of the OPP have not curbed their drinking and driving. From January 1 to Decemller 31 of 1971, 346 breathalyzer tests were ad- ministered. As of December 31, 1972, 379 tests had been given; 83 to Feb. 28, 1973. "If the suspect refuses to take the test we can then charge him under two laws," said Constable Adam, "impaired driving and failure to take the test. He is bet- ter off to take the test and only face one charge." "At any time the suspect can call a lawyer. The lawyer can at- • PHYSICAL TESTS—Constable Adam observes the suspect as he is put through the extensive physical tests before the breathalyzer is used. After the suspect completes his tests, controlled tests are made to check the machine's accuracy. THE MACHINE— The breathalyzer used by the Mount Forest OPP is similar to the instrument used by all Ontario forces. The policemen who employ this instrument must first pass government tests to obtain a special certificate. TAKE A DEEP BREATH— The tipsy suspect has to control his breathing long enough to take a deep breath and blow Into the breathalyzer. Constable Tighe demonstrates this procedure under the votchful eye of Constable Alex Adam, one of the local OPP breathalyzer technicians. Staff Photo RELEASE OF SUSPECT—Corporal Alexander sets some firm rules for the suspect to follow now that he has been found with Tess than the .08 alcohol blood level. Constable Tighe, as many of those brought into the station, still wants to tell his side of the story. (Staff Photo) olorful weather houses made by Mount Forest's Dave Weber is one of those Jack-of-all-trades, and his latest interest—making wood carvings, bird houses and weather vanes—is becoming a full-time occupation. .That is, in addition to his many other activi- ties such as gardening, music and Fuller Brush selling in the strmmerti•-ne. Mr. Weber started his wood working in 1966 after his retire- ment "to put in the time", and now he is working "day and night" at this hobby which he loves. Wind direction indicators or weather vanes, which double as family name signs, are so popu- lar that he can't keep up with the demand. The weather vanes come in many charming styles. Two men on a teeter-totter rock up and down when the wind blows. An industrious wood chopper splits wood when the gusts start to roll, An old woman churning butter in a dash churn, an old man driv- ing stake's into the ground, two men sawing down a tree, and a hardy farmer milking a cow, are other examples of the kinds of activity which are generated in front yards across town by the weather vanes when a wind blows up. Canadian flag is also painted on each name plate. When asked about his patrio- tism, Mr. Weber declared, "I'm Canadian' by gol', and so are my grandsons!" It may be just co- incidence, but most of the carv- ings are painted red, white and blue, or black. Mr. Weber was born just out- side of Mount Forest and has Germanic ancestry on his father's side. He lives in lown with his second wife, who also keeps busy with creative activi- ties, and has a son, Mervin Weber, and a daughter, Mrs. Bonnie Schwindt, who are area residents as well. Mr. Weber has had to make a few adjustments in his original design to ensure that the weather vanes work well and continue to function properly. Moving parts are loosely attached so that when they swell from outside moisture and heat they do not stick or break the fan cable. He had a problem with the lady churning her butter—her churn filled with water and ceased to function pro- perly. Now he drills a little hole in the churn to drain the water out. All new carvings are tested and should be running well. Each one is set outside on a windy day to test the working parts. The pro- peller blades, which he con- structs himself from galvanized iron, must he twisted "just so" to eatch the wind properly. He has the knack so well now, that most blades set up in the house work well outside in the wind. The carvings are generally made of white pine and brightly decorated with auto -marine out- door paint to withstand the ele- Indoor carvings, including a rnan driving a horse and 'lading cart, a wagon with a team of THE INEVITABLE— Sometimes there is nothing left to do.:, but put the guilty away. Constable Tighe looks through the bars while Constable Adam' silently signs "that's another one -put away". Usually the driver found guilty is released in the custody of someone else. Very few drivers brought In ever spend .the night in jail. Staff Photo vanes, bird local artisan horses, and a Mountie proudly riding his black mount, are a few of the other styles which he had to display. Beluxe Housing For The Birds Deluxe housing for the birds is another variety which is in good demand. Bird dwellings range from a small one or two family affair 'for wrens or martins, to a deluxe, twelve unit apartment complex. The three-tier apartment com- plex has 12 units for twelve nests, and 12 or 24 adult birds, depend- ing on whether the mates live Please turn to Page 2 BUILDS VANES—One of Mr. Weber's pet hobbles Is build- ing weather vanes which have action In them. He has a great number of mOdels that make a hit with the small fry. (Staff Photo)