Pubdate: Wed, 01 Apr 2009
Source: Lakes District News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2009 BC Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.ldnews.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2288

DRUGGING & DRIVING

BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation's executive director Allan Lamb, wants
British Columbians to know that drivers impaired by drugs are a danger
to all road users.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse released their Alcohol and Drug Use
Among Drivers: British Columbia Roadside Survey for 2008. The survey showed
fewer people driving after drinking, but more doing so after taking drugs.

Lamb is particularly concerned that young drivers who act responsibly
when it comes to combining alcohol and driving, have no idea that they
could become too impaired to drive after smoking cannabis, using coke
or taking their drug of choice.

"Aside from the disbelief about impairment by drug use, there are
drivers out there who don't think that the police can detect this kind
of impairment. Well, they are wrong," states Lamb.

In fact there are currently over 1,700 police officers in B.C. trained
to recognize drug impairment in drivers.

Canadian police who suspect a driver of being impaired by any drug,
illegal, prescription or over-the-counter, can now demand the subject
submit to a breathalyzer test, physical coordination tests and an
assessment by a Drug Recognition Expert using the Drug Evaluation and
Classification assessment along with a demand of bodily fluid samples
(blood, saliva or urine).

Penalties for drug impaired drivers include a fine of not less than
$1,000 for the first offence, and imprisonment for the second offence
of not less than 30 days and not less than 120 days for each
subsequent offence.

Anyone convicted of operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs,
alcohol or both will be prohibited from driving a vehicle for one to
three years for the first offence and two to five years for the second
offence.

According to Terry Smith, chief coroner for B.C. statistics are
indicating an increased presence of more than one drug in the system
of drivers killed in fatal motor vehicle crashes. "Among drivers,
taking more than one drug at a time may actually be as common as
single-drug use is," says Smith.

"I would really hate to see drivers on our roads exchange one form of
impairment for another. Responsibility is really the issue and putting
the lives of other road users at risk is simply irresponsible," says
Lamb.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin