May 2008

 

Drinking and Driving Report

At the beginning of 2008, the TIRF Bulletin [PDF] highlighted key findings from The Traffic Injury Research Foundation's (TIRF) report The Road Safety Monitor 2007: Drinking and Driving [PDF].

Every year TIRF conducts a telephone based survey that asks randomly selected Canadian drivers who have driven in the 30 days prior to the interview and who hold a valid drivers' license a set of road safety-related questions. The survey examines what Canadians see as priority road safety issues, their level of concern regarding various road safety issues, their view on how to properly deal with these issues, and what they know and don't know about safe driving.

Following the survey a report is written on the important issues that show to be of strong concern to Canadians. The 2007 Drinking and Driving Report came from this survey and summarized some of the key points and trends that were found to be prevalent regarding this issue. New emerging trends in impaired driving were revealed by this report and the drinking and driving behaviours of Canadians were examined.

The report revealed that the progress being made prior to 2002 in reducing Canada's drinking and driving problem has now halted. The monitor reports that from 1995-2002 the number of Canadians killed in drunk driving crashes appeared to have been declining; however, in 2003 this number rose from 850 to 902, decreased in 2004 to 815 and increased again in 2005 to 851. Much of the decrease that occurred in the 1995-2002 period occurred in the 1990s but since 2000, progress has slowed and eventually halted.

Further, the report notes that 1.84 million Canadians have reported drinking and driving, a number that has increased from 1.7 million in 2006. This number does, however, reflect not just those who have consumed more than the legal amount of alcohol prior to driving, but also those who have consumed below the legal level of alcohol allowed. Those that reported drinking and driving when they were aware that they had exceeded the legal limit of alcohol was up from 5.6% in 2004 to 8.2% in 2007.

Some of the findings from the study were:

1. Canadians are more concerned about drinking and driving than any other road safety issue.
2. Males were found to be more likely to drink and drive than females.
3. Over 80% of Canadians supported the use of mandatory ignition interlocks and immediate vehicle impoundment for drinking drivers.

"Canadians are more concerned about drinking and driving than about any other road safety issue", states Ward Vanlaar, lead author on the study. Following drinking drivers, respondents rated running red lights, street racing, and excessive speeding as high issues of seriousness.

Another important factor in understanding drinking and driving is understanding the individuals who drink and drive. The report outlines a profile of the typical drinking driver and what events may influence an individual to drink and drive. One interesting discovery made during the survey was the fact that "Canadians who are less concerned about the problem of drinking and driving are more likely to report driving while they thought they were over the legal limit than Canadians who are more concerned about the issue".

To combat impaired driving, MADD Canada recently released a study recommending zero alcohol BAC for young drivers to age 21, calling on provinces to extend their graduated licencing programs. Manitoba was the first province to impose a zero BAC limit for the first five years of licensure, with Nova Scotia looking to implement similar licensing programs.

"Extending the zero BAC restriction will make a significant impact on the numbers of young driver fatalities," concludes MADD Canada.

Learn more about the TIRF study at the Alcohol Policy Network's next teleconference on Frida, May 30th, 10:00AM-11:00AM. Questions will be taken in both English and French. Click here for more information and to register.

 

Summer Boating

In the Summer 2006 Issues to Watch, we updated readers on the new law regarding boating and alcohol use. This law increased the consequences to boaters who use alcohol, stipulating that Ontario boaters caught operating a vessel while drinking can lose their motor vehicle driver's license. What the new law did was

"extend the Highway Traffic Act to boaters, which means police can issue on-the-spot, 12-hour driver license suspensions to anyone operating a boat under the influence of alcohol. People who are charged with boating while intoxicated will automatically have their driver's license suspended for 90 days. On a first conviction, a minimum year-long suspension is automatic — three years on a second conviction".

In August 2006, a SES/OSPREY Media Poll, Ontario Perceptions on Drinking and Boating [PDF], surveyed approximately 500 Ontarians 18 years of age and older regarding their thoughts on this new law. Respondents were asked whether they felt the new penalties were appropriate and whether they felt it was right to connect an offenders motor vehicle license to his/her boating practices. The survey found that 88% of Ontarians interviewed agreed with the new law and felt the punishment was valid and appropriate. Only 9% felt that it was unfair to link penalties related to drinking and boating to the individual’s motor vehicle license; 3% were unsure of how they felt or refused to comment.

With this law in mind, another summer of water fun approaches and the word is still being put out regarding boating safety. In a Smart Serve 2007 newsletter the following reminders were put forth:

• You may only have open alcohol aboard a boat that is equipped as a residence;
• Drinking and driving rules apply to both the road and the water;
• Operating or having care/control of a boat while being in possession of an open container of liquor carries a substantial fine;
• If you are legally intoxicated while operating a boat you will lose your automobile driver's license.

A visit to Boat Smart Canada's webpage will lead you to information regarding the fines and penalties associated with drinking and boating, some facts and information that boaters will find useful, a "Boat Sober Quiz", and a list of the effects alcohol can have on the boater. These effects include:

• Diminished judgment and ability to process information;
• Reduced motor skills, peripheral vision and balance;
• Slowed reaction and reflex response time;
• Reduced depth perception, vision and focus;
• Disturbance of the inner ear thus reducing your ability to distinguish the water surface if you fall in;
• Accelerated chance of hypothermia.

The law now states that one should not drink while operating a boat and it should be kept in mind that it is no different than operating a motor vehicle on the road while intoxicated.

This year's North American Safe Boating Awareness Week takes place from May 17 to May 23, just in time for the first long weekend of the summer. For more information, check out the Alcohol Policy Network's newly updated information pack on impaired boating and other related topics.