IRP Seems to Be Reducing Drinking Driving
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 @ 1:18 PM
Prince George, B.C.- It has been two years since B.C. introduced Canada’s toughest provincial impaired driving law.
Since the September 2010 launch of the immediate roadside prohibition (IRP) program, the number of alcohol-related motor vehicle deaths has decreased to an average of 62 a year. That’s a 46% drop from the average of 114 in each of the previous 5 years.
The decrease is also well ahead of the goal of reducing alcohol and impaired driving fatalities by 35% by the end of 2013.
The Government has also released the results of a survey taken of drivers in Prince George, Abbotsford, Kelowna, Saanich and Vancouver.
The survey presented results from information gathered in June of 2010 and June of 2012.
The 2012 Roadside Alcohol and Drug Survey found 44 per cent fewer drivers had a blood-alcohol content (BAC) 0.05 per cent and over – and nearly 60 per cent fewer drivers were at or over the Criminal Code threshold of 0.08 per cent.
The survey results for Prince George drivers had the highest level of voluntary compliance. Of the 454 drivers stopped in Prince George, 94.1% agreed to a roadside breathalizer test.
Of those Prince George drivers who agreed to the breath test during the two surveys, here are their results:
|
Test
|
2010 percentage
|
2012 percentage
|
|
Had alcohol in their system
|
10.1
|
9.6
|
|
Alcohol greater than .05
|
3.9
|
2.8
|
|
|
|
|
Drivers were also asked if they would be willing to submit an oral fluid sample so it could be tested for the presence of drugs. In Prince George, 72.9% complied. In 2012, a full 10.7% of those P.G. drivers tested positive for drugs, that’s down from the 13% who tested positive for drugs during the survey in 2010.
As for the type of drugs?
Cannabis 56.1%
Cocaine 29.3%
Opiates 14.6%
The overall survey results of the five communities indicate more than 82% were aware of the new sanctions, 90% said they felt the legislation would make roads safer, and 30% said the new law prompted a change in their behaviour.
Comments
Hopefully we can get it even lower. Seems more people are paying attention to it though :-)
Here are some other numbers…
Cannabis can be detected in your system for at least a month
Cocaine 2-3 days
Opiates 3-4 days
so the numbers mean nothing until you take all information to make a believable statistic.. which they havent here.
I am very happy to see the number of impaired drivers has decreased..but what are the real reasons ?
Cant seem to locate the definition of **Alcohol related deaths** for BC, however in the USA it is as follows.
**A motor vehicle crash is considered to be alcohol-related if at least one driver or non-occupant (such as a pedestrian or pedalcyclist) involved in the crash is determined to have had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 gram per deciliter (g/dL or higher. Thus, any fatality that occurs in an alcohol-related crash is considered an alcohol-related fatality. The term ‘alcohol-related’ does not indicate that a crash or fatality was caused by the presence of alchol”
**A driver involved in a motor vehicle crash is considered ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED if he or she exhibits a BAC of .08 or greater.
So who knows how these stats are being skewed???
Get this media release from the University of Victoria on January 18,2011.
**Privatising liquor sales results in more alcohol-related deaths**
The study examined 20 types of alcohol-related death including liver disease, strokes, cancers, injuries and suicide in 89 local health areas of BC during a rapid rise in the number of private liquor stores between 2003 and 2008. The number of non-government liquor stores increased by 34.4% to 977 while government store numbers decreased by 10.4% to 199. The study found that areas with more stores in private rather than government hands had significantly higher rates of alcohol-related deaths involving local residents. In fact, there was a 27.5% increase in alcohol-related deaths for every extra private liquor store per 1,000 British Columbians.
**Private liquor stores are superior in maximising sales and hence consumption of alcohol and related harms.” says the reports lead author and CARBC Director Dr. Tim Stockwell. “They are also more likely to sell alchohol to underage and intoxicated customers than government stores.”
So while we have the Government of BC taking kudo’s for the decline in alcohol related deaths (whatever that means) in motor vehicles, they are remaining silent about the increase in alcohol-related deaths as a result of privatising liquor stores
Such is the way of the world.
Now start impounding cars when they catch someone using their cell phone!!!!
gimme a break!
It’s almost better to be drunk driving in this city — well, I guess it’s the same everywhere. You always witness something real dumb on the road.
Is this testing legal? If you refuse the test is that probable cause? I would consider this arbitrary detainment.
Bottom line traveller is don’t drink before you drive, not even one!
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