Impaired Driving: an Example of Input to Federal Policy

Since its inception the Canada Safety Council has participated actively in initiatives and meetings related to legislation, countermeasures and education to reduce impaired driving. National Safe Driving Week (December 1-7) has been used to enhance public awareness of this issue and related legislation. Regular media releases and articles address impaired driving and respond to news coverage. CSC has also commissioned studies to add to informed consideration of possible countermeasures. These documents are available to the public on its Web site.

1997 Commissioned research on preventive programs for the hard core drinking driver, as the basis for policy and awareness work.

1998 Co-sponsored a meeting of stakeholders to establish common priorities and recommendations for changes to the Criminal Code to make the law more effective.

1999 Presented recommendations to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (March 1999).

2000 Commissioned a poll to assess public knowledge and perceptions of Canada's impaired driving laws, including 1999-2000 changes. Co-sponsored a national workshop to establish directions for countermeasures over the coming nine years.

2001 Convened a meeting of national stakeholder organizations to discuss priorities in the light of the 1999-2000 amendments to the Criminal Code.

2002 Commissioned a comprehensive study by a legal expert to determine the validity of claims that Canada's blood alcohol laws were weaker than those in other comparable countries. *Questions about impaired driving statistics were discussed at a meeting of government and safety officials.

I* Canada's Road Safety Vision 2010 (in which CSC is a participant) aims for a 40% reduction in road users fatally or seriously injured in crashes involving a drinking driver by 2010. CSC recently pointed out that respected Canadian sources cite widely varying statistics. Consistent reporting of the number of fatalities is necessary to determine whether the national goal is met.