We have had too many alcohol related crashes involving death and injury in the province of Alberta. This has resulted in many broken families sentenced to a life of misery and grief. It doesn’t stop there, it has a ripple effect with siblings left hanging, parents consumed by grief, grandparents feeling helpless, extended family lost for words and friends torn apart.
On behalf of the citizens of Central Alberta and the province of Alberta, we are tired of this carnage. We don’t want to see another family living with this pain.
As president for MADD Red Deer and District Chapter and a parent who has lost a child — we are asking for change from the province of Alberta, our courts and more action from the government of Canada. Impaired driving remains the largest criminal cause of death in Canada. It claims more than twice as many lives annually as all types of homicide combined and takes a disproportionate toll among 16 to 25 year olds.
MADD Canada ranks each province and territory in relation to the completeness and effectiveness of their impaired driving laws. MADD Canada rates the provinces as to how they deal with this serious problem.
Alberta’s rating needs improvement compared with other provinces in Canada.
Possibly this may help explain why we have so many of our loved ones killed and/or injured in the province of Alberta because of alcohol-related crashes. On average every day in Canada, four people are killed and 200 are injured due to impaired driving. No one is immune to these tragedies and it could happen to you or a loved one.
We are urging the province to do its part by implementing the Rating the Provinces and Territories Report. The following is a few of what we are recommending:
• Introduce a seven-to-14-day administrative licence suspension for alcohol/drug impairment over .05 per cent.
• Enact a .00 per cent BAC for all drivers under the age of 21 or in their first five years of driving. (There’s a closely related recommendation to strengthen the graduated licensing system, so we could incorporate that too.)
• Enact a mandatory alcohol interlock program for all federal impaired driving offenders.
Our police work tirelessly to combat impaired driving, however they can only do so much. For more information, go to www.madd.ca and click on Publications for the full report on Rating the Provinces and Territories.
Aleta Neville, President MADD Red Deer
and District Chapter