By Justin Dionne

MADD Grande Prairie welcoming new impaired driving laws

Dec 18, 2018 | 1:53 PM

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada is welcoming the implementation of mandatory alcohol screening in Canada.
 
New laws came into place at midnight and Tia Marsten, Community Leader with MADD for the Grande Prairie area says the change will save lives and prevent injuries on the road.

“Our estimate, is that it will reduce impaired driving by about 20 per cent annually,” says Marsten. “That is about 200 lives saved and about 12,000 injuries prevented every year.”

MADD Canada says impaired driving is a leading criminal cause of death throughout the country, which kills hundreds and injures thousands each year.

“Mandatory alcohol screening authorizes the police to demand a breath sample from any driver lawfully pulled over. It greatly increases the number of drivers screened for impairment, resulting in more impaired drivers being detected. Equally important, it greatly increases the perception that if you’re going to drive impaired, the chances of getting caught are quite high,” says Marsten.

Marsten adds mandatory alcohol screening has been adopted in New Zealand, Australia, most European countries, and is widely recognized as one of the most effective anti-impaired driving measures available. 

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Federal statistics show that an average of almost four people dies in Canada daily due to impaired driving. 

w/files from the Canadian Press