| Alcohol impaired driving is a serious problem in | | | | the licenses of drivers caught with alcohol readings |
| every community across Canada. Impaired driving | | | | of .05 or more. According to the Ontario Ministry |
| is a criminal offence that can result in severe | | | | of Transportation, "drivers with a BAC above |
| penalties. According to a recently released study | | | | 0.05, but below the legal limit are 7.2 times more |
| by the Canada Safety Council, (CSC) "Canada's | | | | likely to be in a fatal collision than drivers with a |
| blood alcohol law is very strict compared to most | | | | zero BAC." Factors that influence BAC levels |
| other countries in the western world." | | | | include the rate at which one drinks, gender, body |
| Every year, thousands of drivers are convicted | | | | weight, and the amount of food in one's stomach. |
| of driving offences. It is estimated that about | | | | Specific blood level effects include: |
| three quarters of those convictions are related to | | | | Blood Levels 0.03 - 0.059: Behavior includes mild |
| drinking and driving. Alcohol impaired drivers are | | | | euphoria, relaxation, talkativeness, and decreased |
| involved in thousands of traffic collisions every | | | | timidity. There is impairment in alertness, |
| year. | | | | judgment, coordination, and concentration. |
| The amount of alcohol in a person's body is | | | | Blood Levels 0.06-0.10: Behavior includes dulled |
| measured by the amount of the alcohol in the | | | | feelings and increased sociability. There is |
| blood. This is referred to as the blood alcohol | | | | impairment in reflexes, reasoning, depth |
| concentration, or BAC. Blood alcohol concentration | | | | perception, distance perception, and peripheral |
| is the amount of alcohol present in a 100 milliliter | | | | vision. There may be sensitivity to brightness and |
| (ml) volume of blood. It is the percentage of | | | | the inability to differentiate between colors. The |
| concentration of alcohol in one's bloodstream. For | | | | brain's ability to perform simple motor functions is |
| example 50 mg is 0.05 grams, 0.05 grams of | | | | also reduced and a driver's reaction time will be |
| alcohol in 100 mls is written as 0.05%. In Canada, | | | | slower and responses will be less accurate. |
| it is a criminal offence to drive with a blood alcohol | | | | Drinking and driving is no longer a tolerable |
| concentration (BAC) of 0.08, or 80 milligrams of | | | | situation. It results in car accidents, serious injuries, |
| alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood. This means that | | | | and death. It also affects the Canadian economy |
| less than one tenth of one percent of the blood is | | | | because of the additional costs for health care, |
| concentrated with alcohol when one is considered | | | | emergency response, and property damage. |
| alcohol impaired. Although nearly all Canadian | | | | According to the Ontario Ministry of |
| provinces enforce a legal blood alcohol limit of | | | | Transportation, "the financial cost to society of |
| 0.05, the maximum blood alcohol content allowed | | | | drinking and driving is estimated to be at least $3 |
| in the province of Quebec is 0.08. All provinces, | | | | billion annually." When it comes to making our |
| except Nunavut, have a zero blood alcohol level | | | | roads safe, it is essential that we get drunk |
| for new drivers. As well, all provinces other than | | | | drivers off the road. |
| Quebec have laws that allow police to suspend | | | | |