Getting MADD on the Parliament Hill

MADD Canada
News Release

****************************

MADD Canada testified today before the federal Justice Committee, which is currently reviewing possible new legislation to fight impaired driving in our country.

National President Margaret Miller, CEO Andrew Murie, and Quebec Manager Marie Claude Morin met with Members of Parliament and spoke to the Committee sharing the organization’s priority public policies.

Legal Policy Director Robert Solomon and fellow University of Western Ontario Professor Erica Chamberlain wrote a policy document for the occasion. [View the document here.]

MADD Canada had a three prong policy agenda on this trip: lower BACs to 0.05%; establish a federal ignition interlock standard; and introduce random breath testing. MADD Canada’s presentation concluded:

“Impaired driving deaths and injuries are neither accidental nor inevitable. Rather, they are the direct result of our current law, policies and practices.

“Canada’s federal impaired driving laws are cumbersome, technical and, more importantly, ineffective. While some progress has been made from the record high levels of impaired driving deaths and injuries of the early 1980s, progress has stalled over the last ten years. In fact, the most recent data indicate that impaired driving and related deaths are increasing.

“Bill C-2 will plug some of the existing loopholes in our impaired driving law. However, it will not bring about major reductions in impaired driving deaths or injuries. Similarly, significant progress cannot be achieved by awareness initiatives, tougher laws or crackdowns on the so-called hard core drinking driver. There are no quick fixes. Nor is it appropriate for Parliament to assume that provincial and territorial initiatives are all that is required. Research indicates that major new federal amendments are essential.

“MADD Canada would urge the Committee to recommend: the enactment of a Criminal Code .05% BAC offence and random breath testing; and eliminating or reducing the mandatory driving prohibitions for impaired driving offenders enrolled in an ignition interlock program.”

MADD Canada also took the opportunity of its meetings on Parliament Hill to urge Senators to pass Bill C-2, The Tackling Violent Crime Act, which contains a needed drug impaired driving law as well as significant measures relating to evidence to the contrary.

****************************