Local RCMP members regularly conduct a number of check stops over the holiday season, and this year members may have new information to hand out to residents with the recent amendments made to drinking and diving regulations.
Bill 26, the Traffic Safety Amendment Act, passed third reading in the Alberta legislature on Dec. 6. According to a Government of Alberta press release, the Act aims “to reduce collisions and needless deaths and injuries on Alberta’s roads.”
The law expands existing sanctions for drivers blowing between 0.05 to 0.08 BAC and stiffens penalties for drivers blowing over 0.08.
Local RCMP does not expect the Act to receive royal assent before Christmas and enforcement will remain consistent with existing legislation, confirmed St. Paul RCMP spokesman Cst. Sam Montasser.
But, not everyone is in total agreement with the proposed changes.
“I think they’re going about it the wrong way,” says Tom Barclay, owner and chef at Café Orleans, located on main street in St. Paul. Barclay doesn’t believe the laws should be targeting people who have blood-alcohol content lower than 0.08.
“That’s not the hardcore drinker, that’s not the people causing the problems,” he says.
Barclay feels the legislation will affect the hospitality and restaurant industry financially and may also be a burden on police resources that are “stretched so far already.”
The new legislation includes a three-day licence suspension and three-day vehicle seizure for a first offence of testing between 0.05 and 0.08. This could result in someone losing their job if he or she depends on a vehicle for employment, says Barclay, adding, “That’s a sad situation for someone who had nachos and a couple beers and went home.”
He believes legislation that results in someone losing their licence for life if they test over 0.10 would make more sense than stiffer penalties for those who test under 0.08.
Jerrid Pasitney, manager of the Tin Cup restaurant in St. Paul, says the legislation will have an effect on restaurants, but feels “people should be responsible for their own actions.” Everyone must make the effort to drive responsibly, he says.
People are aware locally that changes are being made to the legislation and the topic does come up in conversation, says Pasitney.
Technically, the changes haven’t been proclaimed yet, explains Barry Sallstrom, Regional Traffic Safety Consultant Northeast Central Region, but an awareness and education campaign is already underway. He adds there has been a penalty for having a BAC between 0.05 and 0.08 for quite some time already and the new laws are simply adding to the current legislation.
Bill 26 stresses the idea that “driving is a privilege. It’s not a right,” says Sallstrom. Far too many people are dying in collisions involving alcohol, he says, adding, it’s “completely preventable.”
In his experience, most local residents are in favour of the changes. Sallstrom believes the legislation isn’t stopping people from drinking, it’s just forcing drivers to act responsibly.
According to statistics from the province, an estimated 22 per cent of drivers in fatal collisions in Alberta last year were found to have consumed alcohol. The approach being taken by the province is based on research that impaired driving “is a behavior that can change,” says the release.
“Studies show that a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05 affects a driver’s vision, response time, steering, braking and attention,” says the release.
