Local law enforcement officials say they are in favour of the new provincial bill that introduces tougher penalties for drinking and driving.
Bill 26 was passed on Dec. 6 and strengthens punishments for drivers with a blood alcohol level content above the legal limit of .08, and also for those between .05 and .08.
Drivers who blow above the limit on breathalyzer devices would have their license suspended until the charge is resolved in court, and those who blow between .05 and .08 would get their car seized and license suspended for three days. The penalties are harsher for repeat offenders.
The old laws had the same limits, but the punishments were less severe. For example, drivers who blew between .05 and .08 faced a 24-hour license suspension.
The bill was faced with criticism, including some opposition from within the Conservative Party. But local RCMP Const. Chris Clark says that police are in support of the bill.
“Anything to drop the number of impaired drivers and make the roads safer we support,” Clark said, adding that although the extent of alcohol’s effects will vary with person to person, drinking will have an effect on a motorist. “Any amount of alcohol is going to impair the driver.”
He said the bill would serve as a good deterrent — knowing that there are strict penalties would prevent people from driving after they’ve been drinking.
“It would deter people from even venturing out,” Clark said. “It would keep our roads safer.”
Barry Sallstrom, a provincial traffic safety consultant for the area, also said that harsher penalties will get people’s attention.
“It gets to the point — if you’re drinking, don’t drive, plan ahead,” Sallstrom said.
“Really, there’s no excuse for drinking and driving.”
Sallstrom also said that he supports the new legislation.
“I think it’s good,” he said. “I think it’s going to go a long way to making our roads a lot safer.”
The bill did face criticism from people in the hospitality industry, saying the .05 to .08 part of the bill targets casual drinkers who are not the biggest danger on the roads, and will hurt the industry. The group Albertans Against Bill 26 had been advocating against it since its introduction.
But Sallstrom and area MLA and Transportation Minister Ray Danyluk stressed that penalties for having that blood alcohol level were in place for 12 years — they are just more severe now. Danyluk, who introduced the bill, also pointed out that there have been 42,726 impaired driving charges with those levels in Alberta in the past five years, and 41,666 convictions for drivers blowing above the legal limit.
“That’s too many,” Danyluk said. “We have to look at: how do we change the culture?”
The new laws will be rolled out in phases and start taking effect next year as the government works to educate the public and police on the new rules.
