[fatbasturd]

Congratulations Manitoba hopefully the rest of the country can do as well in the future



Manitoba tops in Canada on MADD report card
Updated Thu. Oct. 19 2006 8:10 AM ET

Canadian Press

TORONTO -- Manitoba is at the head of the class when it comes to effective impaired driving laws in Canada, according to a Mothers Against Drunk Driving 2006 report card on Canada's impaired driving laws.


MADD Canada reviewed and graded each provincial and territorial government's impaired driving legislation. With a grade of A-minus, Manitoba outperformed Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta and Saskatchewan to take the top honours.


Manitoba, which also led all provinces and territories in MADD Canada's 2003 report, was lauded for its introduction of new legislative reforms including a five-year, zero-blood alcohol level policy for new drivers.


Ontario was ranked second on the list with a B rating.


Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and Alberta were next with a B-minus rating in recognition of "significant progress towards enacting effective impaired driving measures.''


MADD Canada said Nova Scotia and Quebec have fallen sharply in the 2006 rankings while New Brunswick, Nunavut and Prince Edward Island made little progress from their relatively poor showings in 2003.


Yukon and British Columbia received C-plus ratings, Quebec received a C, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia were ranked D-plus, New Brunswick was given a D rating and Nunavut received an F.


MADD Canada director Andrew Murie said the organization is "generally pleased'' with the progress made by provinces and territories since the last report card in 2003.


"Almost all of the jurisdictions have introduced some measures to strengthen their impaired driving legislation.'' he said.


"Some governments have made major strides towards safer roads. Others have done relatively little and are ignoring the serious realities of the current impaired driving trends.''


MADD Canada notes, however, that impaired traffic deaths are rising in Canada and impaired driving remains the single largest criminal cause of death. In 2003, alcohol and-or drugs were estimated to be involved in over 1,250 traffic fatalities, 74,100 injuries and 161,250 property-damage-only collisions.


Impaired driving takes a disproportionate toll among young Canadians, according to MADD Canada. It said the 16-25 age group constituted only 13.7 per cent of the Canadian population in 2003, but accounted for 32.1 per cent of the alcohol-related traffic fatalities.


"Comprehensive provincial and territorial reforms are essential if we are to achieve the even modest goal of preventing further increases in impaired driving deaths,'' said study co-author Professor Robert Solomon, of the Law Faculty of University of Western Ontario and legal director of MADD Canada.

[fatbasturd]

I would like to add that in PE it is not a crime to drink and drive....it's a fucking tradition.
You will be pleased to know that i try to make a difference...I call the mounties on everyone of them I come across, just a couple of weeks ago this fool was in front of me doing 30km on the highway with one tire on either side of the center line at 10: am.....

[Scrappy]

Sadly Fat that is also a problem here in Cowville, even thou those who are stopped under suspicion of a DUI have their names in the local paper it doesn't seem to embarres anyone. Four or five accidents a week take place envolving alcohol. Most are fatalities.

[2Cdo]

You would think that people would be getting the message but sadly it seems they aren't. The problem is that seldom are the maximum sentences given, and the fact that it seems half the lawyers in the country are defending drunk drivers and beating the charges on procedural grounds. Here in Kingston a man was found guilty last week of the following;

1. Impaired driving (4 or 5 offence)
2. Driving while suspended ( 4 or 5 offence)
3. Driving with no insurance.

As well as being found guilty of all counts, the day of sentencing he showed up in the courts for his 10:00am hearing drunk! The sentence handed out was, Suspension for 10 years (hadn't worked in the past, can't see it working this time), a fine (don't remember the exact amount) and 90 days in jail! By this time could we not apply Dangerous Offender status to this arsehole, it is only a matter of time before he seriously injures or kills someone. His defence was that he is an alcoholic, who cares! I know of a few people that are alcoholics but they don't drive impaired, in fact one of them doesn't even have a licence (by choice) BECAUSE of his being an alcoholic.

Sorry folks, but it is dickheads like this he deserve to be either locked up for life or taken out back and shot, just my opinion!

[PJB]

The courts tend to put less emphasis on impaired driving as a dangerous offence that they should. When there is a repeat offender that has no regard for the laws that person should do prison time and not just on weekends.

Insofar as keeping that person from getting behind the wheel I have no idea what the solution is. It seems that some folks will never figure it out until the kill someone and even then some of them blame the fact that they were drunk. Talk about a pathetic excuse.

We have to start with the kids as some of us older farts are beyond repair. Hopefully by educating the youth we have we might make it socially un-cool to drink and drive and you and I both know that if something is not cool kids won't do it.

[Knoss]

I think that the zero olerence for new drivers should be continued to all drivers.

More importaintly though, as DWI often involves licence suspensions, I think more needs to be done to enforce people driving without a valid drivers license.