President's Perspective

Thanks to hard work in recent years, this statement is no longer valid. The total number of people killed in alcohol-related road crashes in 2000 was indeed higher than the number of homicides — but more than half of the crash fatalities were drivers who had been drinking. These drinking driver deaths might arguably be compared to suicides, but certainly not to homicides.

According to Transport Canada, road crashes involving a driver who had been drinking killed 864 people in 2000. Legally impaired drivers (i.e. those with a BAC over 0.08) comprised 422 of those casualties, or almost half. A further 90 deceased drivers had a BAC of 0.08 or lower. Most of these drivers could not be considered innocent victims.

If you subtract the drinking drivers, that leaves 352 fatalities in alcohol-related road crashes — still a high number, but more than 35 per cent lower than the 546 homicide victims in Canada in 2000.

It was once "cool" for an intoxicated person to take the wheel. People talked about "one for the road." Impaired driving charges against prominent citizens would pass unnoticed.

Today, most Canadians consider drinking and driving to be totally unacceptable and irresponsible. New drivers must maintain a zero BAC, and all provinces except one have administrative suspensions at around a 0.05 BAC. Designated drivers are the rule. If a drunk driver causes death or injury, public outrage ensues.

Drinkers who drive not only risk their own lives and the lives of others. They also risk becoming social outcasts. Moreover, if convicted of an impaired driving offence they face severe penalties including a lifelong criminal record.

Impaired driving is no longer "the" leading criminal cause of death in this country, but it remains "a" leading cause. Much progress has been made, most importantly a monumental attitude shift which has helped to reduce the number of deaths and injuries.

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