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Saving Lives in Saskatchewan

By Lynne Bell

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听听听听听听听听听听听 Another day, another impaired driving column.

听听听听听听听听听听听 I certainly could write that with great cynicism and resignation-as currently, Saskatchewan's impaired driving rates are 620 per 100,000 people- almost triple the national average of 210 impaired drivers per 100,000. And 44 percent of traffic deaths in the province are also tied to drinking and driving, according to the government's own statistics.

听听听听听听听听听听听 To say this is a depressing state of affairs is an understatement, to say the least.

听听听听听听听听听听听 However, there is cause for hope-and dare I say it?- guarded optimism, as Saskatchewan has passed what have been called 鈥済ame-changing鈥� amendments to the province's impaired driving penalties in an effort to end the unnecessary-and sometimes, seemingly unending- tragedies on our roadways.听

听听听听听听听听听听听 Former Member of Parliament and MLA Allan Kerpan told The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix: 鈥淚 have watched this process unfold, and I can say that government was very serious about making sound and impactful change.鈥� Sadly, Kerpan knows all too well the tragic toll impaired driving has taken in this province, as his daughter, Danille was killed by a drunk driver in 2014.

听听听听听听听听听听听 The changes to the Traffic Safety Act were passed unanimously and take effect January 1, 2017.

听听听听听听听听听听听 They include: Zero tolerance for alcohol or drugs for all new drivers and for drivers 21 years of age or younger. Currently, this law applies to all new drivers and drivers 19 years of age or younger. A 60-day licence suspension remains in effect.

听听听听听听听听听听听 -Under the new legislation, experienced drivers charged for the first time with a blood alcohol reading over 0.04 will have their vehicles seized for three days. Currently, there is no vehicle seizure for drivers in these circumstances.

听听听听听听听听听听听 -Ignition interlock laws will be tougher. Motorists found to be impaired with blood alcohol levels between 0.08 and 0.16 will receive one year for a first offence, three years for a second offence, and 10 years for three offences or more. For drivers with blood alcohol levels over 0.16- or drivers who refuse to provide a breath sample- the duration will be two years for a first offence, five years for a second offence and after that, 10 years.

听听听听听听听听听听听 -Currently, cell phone use by drivers is prohibited in Saskatchewan. Under the new legislation, drivers will be prohibited from holding, viewing, using or manipulating a cellphone while driving.

听听听听听听听听听听听 These changes-and more- will have Saskatchewan join Alberta and British Columbia in having some of the strictest impaired driving legislation in the country.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Allan Kerpan says; 鈥淲ith this game-changing legislation, the government can take great credit in knowing they are saving lives in Saskatchewan.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 We can only hope.

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Impaired driving legislation changing in Sask

By Kelly Running

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听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 In Saskatchewan it seems as though drinking to get drunk is a pastime and with that some people actually feel it鈥檚 acceptable to then jump behind the wheel of a vehicle to drive. This honestly baffles me. You鈥檙e endangering not only yourself, but any passengers you convince to get in the vehicle with you and anyone that you meet on the road.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Throughout high school it was one of those things that speakers would come in and address. I had never been affected by drinking and driving personally. No one I ever knew had died or gone to jail for it. It didn鈥檛 seem like a big issue.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 But, in grade nine I specifically remember a woman from Saskatoon coming to our school to talk to us about drinking and driving. It was sad, she had lost her daughter to a drunk driver, but as the mother played a recording of her daughter鈥檚 voice from a karaoke song, pictures of the girl flashed on across the screen at the front. During the presentation the girl had looked familiar, but it was during these photos that one popped up and my chest tightened.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 I didn鈥檛 know her personally, but I had seen the photo before. My cousin from Saskatoon had a small school photo up in his room alongside photos of his other friends, but this one didn鈥檛 change from year to year, and it was the one that had just crossed the screen. The lady speaking at the front of the gym was in fact the mother of my cousin鈥檚 friend.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 I still hadn鈥檛 been affected personally by a drunk driver in any way, but the action all of a sudden became more real.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The government is making changes in the new year: zero tolerance for alcohol or drugs for drivers 21-years-old and younger, vehicle seizures for those charged for the first time with a blood alcohol content of over 0.04, strengthened ignition interlock laws, and prohibition from using a cell phone while driving including holding, viewing, or using the cell phone.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 I think it鈥檚 important to make these laws into very serious ones, but will changing laws actually have an impact on the numbers? Will a fine or vehicle seizure stop someone from getting behind the wheel?

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 When someone is intoxicated and threatening to drive, is it a reminder of the legislation that gets them to toss the keys to someone else, or is it a reminder that they could kill themselves or take someone else鈥檚 life? I don鈥檛 know. But, I am glad the laws are changing and becoming harsher. Driving is extremely dangerous, humans were not meant to go those speeds鈥� if we were we鈥檇 be able to run that fast like a cheetah. And on top of that you鈥檝e got a mass of weight behind you, something that large, going that quickly, with people who have limited reaction times is dangerous.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 So, any attempt at preventing people from endangering others while on the road is a step in the right direction.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 But, as my story shows鈥� it might not be taken seriously until it鈥檚 somehow made to resonate with people on a human level, not just a legislative one. And for many, that comes when it鈥檚 already too late.