Most Canadians take the drunk out of driving

According to The Road Safety Monitor the Traffic Injury Research Foundation’s national public opinion poll fewer Canadians are driving after drinking, but the problem still persists.The poll shows that the vast majority (85%) of Canadians haven’t driven after drinking at any time during the past month. As well, an overwhelming majority (93%) said they have not driven when they thought they were over the legal limit at any time during the past year.Trends also show declines in the percentages of Canadians who admit to driving after drinking, as well as those who admitted to having driven when they thought they were over the legal limit.”The declines in drinking and driving are encouraging, but progress has slowed considerably in recent years,” Herb Simpson, president and CEO of the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF), says. “Our poll shows that the problem remains at unacceptable levels, with over 7.8 million trips occurring last year when the driver thought they were over the legal limit; other TIRF studies show there are about 900 deaths attributed to alcohol-related crashes each year.”The public agrees that the problem needs to be fixed – eight out of 10 Canadians identified drinking and driving as a serious problem.They also rate drinking and driving as one of the most important social issues facing them today – placing it ahead of other prominent issues, including health care, pollution, and the state of the economy.The poll revealed that over 60% of drivers are unaware their province had a lower blood alcohol limit than the Criminal Code. “If more Canadians knew the police can suspend their driving privileges for blood alcohol levels of .04 or .05%, they might think twice about getting behind the wheel after drinking,” Simpson says.Another persisting issue that needs to be addressed is repeat offenders. The poll showed that of the 7.8 million “drunk driving” trips that took place in 3% of drivers.”Year after year, we find the vast majority of drunk driving is accounted for by a relatively small number of drivers,” Simpson says. “Special attention must be paid to these repeat offenders, or significant progress in dealing with the problem will continue to elude us.”As for other countermeasures to combat drinking and driving, the poll found three quarters of Canadians agree with immediate vehicle impoundment for drivers who fail a breath alcohol test. Canadians also strongly support alcohol ignition interlocks, with 80% approving usage of the device for those convicted of an impaired driving offence.