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| MADD Canada>News>In the News>Civilians asked for help in seasonal fight against impaired... |
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In the News Civilians asked for help in seasonal fight against impaired drivers Nearly 20 per cent of the people whose names appeared Monday on the Kelowna provincial court docket were charged with an impaired driving offence. Those 16 people, out of 86 total, still probably grossly under-represent how widespread the problem of impaired driving is in Kelowna. And if a local charity set on stamping out such behaviour has its way, the courts are going to be a whole lot busier this Christmas. The newly revitalized Kelowna chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving is hoping to mobilize a civilian force of thousands to help get tipsy motorists off our roads during the festive season. Vicki Travis, who heads up the branch here, appeared Monday morning at a press conference at the city RCMP detachment to introduce Campaign 911. It’s a nationwide plea for motorists to phone 911 if they happen upon a suspected drunk driver. She provided a list of 10 things to look for. (See below) Travis wants every member of the community to give police a hand to make the roads safer. “Make that emergency call, because that call could prevent an impaired driving crash causing injury, or worse, death.” To back up her call for help, Travis provided statistics complied by MADD Canada that suggest four people are killed and 207 more injured each day in this country by impaired drivers. “What makes these staggering numbers even more tragic is that impaired driving is 100 per cent preventable,” she noted. Travis has the full backing of local police. Staff Sgt. Al Dengis, head of the RCMP’s Central Okanagan Traffic Services, took the opportunity this morning to warn revellers about the consequences they face if they decide to drive while impaired by drugs or alcohol: “One momentary point of indecision or poor decision-making can have a significant negative impact on you as an individual for the rest of your life. And also a significant impact on other members of the community as well if you do find yourself in a crash,” he said. “And it’s not something where you’re going to be able to sneak away and get away with it. We are going to be having road checks out there.” In fact, those holiday road checks have started, and Dengis said a few motorists have already been charged this with impaired driving, although he couldn’t provide any numbers. Kelowna’s top cop, Supt. Bill McKinnon, added that the number of people charged with impaired driving in Kelowna is up “significantly” this year, although he couldn’t provide figures. “Drinking and driving in Kelowna is something that’s done on a routine basis by people,” McKinnon said. He’s at a loss to explain that attitude, and noted that people tend to be more cautious this time of year when police make clear they are on the hunt for drunk drivers. “But it seems to be the minute Jan. 1 hits again, it’s like it’s wide-open season again and people can drink and drive again.” Catching the impaired drivers is half the battle; making them pay is a whole other challenge. “It’s the most technical offence to prove of any criminal offence we deal with,” McKinnon said. “The courts are bogged down dealing with impaired driving cases.” That’s because few people plead guilty to such charges and a defence lawyer can usually muster up an argument to counter some aspect of the case against his client, the superintendent explained, such as the last drink defence. And there are other ways people attempt to subvert justice. McKinnon also said that officers may also choose to hand out a 24-hour driving prohibition, rather than tie up two officers for upwards of three hours on an impaired driving investigation, if they are working an extremely busy night. Despite all that, responsibility must lie with drivers to consider the consequences and choose a better way. “It’s all about making our roadways safe,” McKinnon concluded. “Not only for the people that are in that vehicle that may be with you, but for others that are using the roadways.” Travis, from the local MADD chapter, reopened the branch a year ago, after it disbanded about three years before that. She used to work as an office administrator for the group’s Fraser Valley chapter. 1. Driving unreasonably fast, slow or at an inconsistent speed
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