Impaired driving causes an alarming number of deaths and injuries across the province and the country.
In Alberta in 2010 alone, there were 96 deaths and 1,384 injuries in alcohol-related collisions. The toll hit closer to home this year when drivers were charged with impaired driving in the deaths of eight people in a seven-month period in Central Alberta.
This spurred the Red Deer Advocate newsroom to take on a special project to explore the impact of impaired driving. The result is a special series of stories, photos and videos called Deadly Choices that will run over the next few weeks. The series starts today.
In this series, families of victims share their grief and outrage at the loss of loved ones. Emergency responders tell of horrific images seared into their memory from collision scenes and emergency rooms.
Lawyers and judges tell of the heart-rending victim impact statements that they hear at sentencing hearings, again and again.
The perpetrators — those who chose to drive after drinking — share their remorse about deaths and injuries that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Others admit they were lucky they didn’t kill anyone after they drove after drinking.
Many of those interviewed offer their thoughts on ways to stop drunk drivers, including tougher laws, stiffer sentences, and ways to change behaviours that create a zero tolerance for alcohol in drivers.
We hope that these stories may make drivers choose not to drive, before they choose to drink.
Deadly Choices will run in on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays over the next few weeks.
cmartindale@www.reddeeradvocate.com
PUNISHMENT FOR IMPAIRED DRIVERS IN CANADA
(1) Every one who commits an offence under section 253 or 254 is guilty of an indictable offence or an offence punishable on summary conviction and is liable,
(a) whether the offence is prosecuted by indictment or punishable on summary conviction, to the following minimum punishment, namely,
(i) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $1,000,
(ii) for a second offence, to imprisonment for not less than 30 days, and
(iii) for each subsequent offence, to imprisonment for not less than 120 days;
(b) where the offence is prosecuted by indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years; and
(c) if the offence is punishable on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term of not more than 18 months.