Majority of Canadians support random breath testing

MADD Canada - North Bay Chapter is pleased to find out that 77% of Canadians are supportive of random breath testing. The results come from an Ipsos Reid poll commissioned by MADD Canada.

Full details are contained in the MADD news release below.

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Oakville - More than three quarters of Canadians surveyed said they support random breath testing (RBT) as a measure to reduce impaired driving in this country.

"These results indicate the strong level of concern that Canadians have about impaired driving and the need to address the problem," said Margaret Miller, MADD Canada National President. "Random breath testing is a proven effective traffic safety measure which has saved lives and prevented injuries in other countries. It could save lives and prevent injuries in Canada too."

The survey was conducted by Ipsos Reid in March and April. The full results are available on the MADD Canada web site at www.madd.ca. Highlights include:

a.. 98% of Canadians think impaired driving is an important or very important public safety issue.
b.. 77% supported or somewhat supported RBT.
c.. 79% strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that RBT is a reasonable intrusion on drivers.
d.. 75% agreed or somewhat agreed that police should be able to randomly require drivers to give a breath test.
RBT has been introduced in a large number of comparable, developed countries and has resulted in significant reductions in alcohol-related crashes, deaths and injuries. In Ireland, for example, RBT reduced the total number of annual road fatalities by 19% in its first year. Earlier results in Queensland found a total fatal crash reduction of 35% between 1988 and 1992.

In June 2009, Canada's Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights recommended the enactment of RBT legislation in its report, Ending Alcohol-Impaired Driving: A Common Approach. RBT, along with other measures to update Canada's impaired driving provisions, are currently being considered by the federal Justice Ministry.

"We estimate that, in 2007, 1,239 people were killed and 73,120 were injured in alcohol-related crashes," Mrs. Miller said. "If we take an average of the crash reductions seen in other countries with RBT and estimate a 22% crash reduction in Canada, that is 273 lives saved and more than 16,000 injuries prevented."

"We strongly urge the government to bring RBT to Canada so that we can begin to see its benefits on our roads and in our communities," Mrs. Miller said.

The survey was conducted by Ipsos Reid between March 29 and April 5. A nationally representative proportionate sample of 1,010 adults, aged 18 and over responded. The results of a sample of this size are considered accurate within ±3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Data is weighted to the latest Statistics Canada census data to ensure the results are representative of the adult Canadian population.

About MADD Canada

MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is a national, charitable organization that is committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime. With volunteer-driven groups in more than 100 communities across Canada, MADD Canada aims to offer support services to victims, heighten awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and save lives and prevent injuries on our roads.

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