IMPAIRED DRIVING IN CANADA, 1996 HIGHLIGHTS. By Sylvain Tremblay

Transcription

1 Statistics Caada Catalogue o XPE Vol. 7 o. IMPAIRED DRIVING IN CANADA, 996 By Sylvai Tremblay HIGHLIGHTS Sice peakig i 98, the umber of persos charged with impaired operatio of a motor vehicle has bee decreasig over the last 5 years. The 78,894 persos charged by police i 996 were approximately half the umber charged i 98, ad represeted a 6% decrease from 995. Despite recet declies i the rate of impaired drivig, over oe-third of driver fatalities i 995 ivolved alcohol. I 996, 33 persos were charged with impaired drivig causig death. This umber has remaied relatively costat durig the 990s. All provices reported declies i the umber of persos charged with impaired drivig i 996. Saskatchewa cotiued to report the highest rate of impaired drivig amog the provices. For a secod cosecutive year, Newfoudlad reported the lowest rate. Eight of the ie largest metropolita areas have experieced large declies i impaired drivig sice 99, ragig from 8% i Motreal to 54% i Vacouver. Over the past five years, Edmoto has cosistetly reported the highest rate of impaired drivig, ad Toroto the lowest. Although the geeral public ofte associates impaired drivig with youg drivers, data from a sample of 54 police agecies showed that drivers aged 6-9 years accouted for oly 5% of both persos charged ad licesed drivers. Accordig to figures from the Traffic Ijury Research Foudatio, drivers represeted more tha half of all persos killed i traffic accidets i 995. Amog fatally-ijured drivers who were tested for alcohol, the percetage foud to be impaired has declied from 43% i 987 to 35% i 995. Of almost 50,000 persos foud guilty of impaired drivig i ie jurisdictios i , 66% were seteced to pay a fie (as the most serious setece), % received imprisomet, 9% received probatio ad 3% received other types of seteces. The media fie was $500, while the media priso term was 30 days.

2 Orderig/Subscriptio iformatio All prices exclude sales tax Catalogue o XPE, is published i a paper versio for $0.00 per issue or $93.00 for a aual subscriptio i Caada. Outside Caada the cost is US$0.00 per issue or US$93.00 for a aual subscriptio. Please sed orders to Statistics Caada, Operatios ad Itegratio Divisio, Circulatio Maagemet, 0 Parkdale Aveue, Ottawa, Otario, KA 0T6 or by diallig (63) or , by fax (63) or or by Iteret: order@statca.ca. For chage of address, please provide both old ad ew addresses. Statistics Caada publicatios may also be purchased from authorized agets, bookstores ad local Statistics Caada offices. November 997 ISSN 075-7X Published by authority of the Miister resposible for Statistics Caada. Miister of Idustry, 997 All rights reserved.no part of this publicatio may be reproduced, stored i a retrieval system or trasmitted i ay form or by ay meas, electroic, mechaical, photocopyig, recordig or otherwise without prior writte permissio from Licece Services, Marketig Divisio, Statistics Caada, Ottawa, Otario, Caada KA 0T6. Note of appreciatio Caada owes the success of its statistical system to a log-stadig cooperatio ivolvig Statistics Caada, the citizes of Caada, its busiesses, govermets ad other istitutios. Accurate ad timely statistical iformatio could ot be produced without their cotiued co-operatio ad goodwill. Stadards of service to the public Statistics Caada is committed to servig its cliets i a prompt, reliable ad courteous maer ad i the official laguage of their choice. To this ed, the agecy has developed stadards of service which its employees observe i servig its cliets. To obtai a copy of these service stadards, please cotact your earest Statistics Caada Regioal Referece Cetre. The paper used i this publicatio meets the miimum requiremets of America Natioal Stadard for Iformatio Scieces Permaece of Paper for Prited Library Materials, ANSI Z Itroductio Impaired drivig cotiues to be a subject of cosiderable cocer i Caada. Traffic accidets are the primary cause of death for 5 to 9 year-olds ad the secod leadig cause for 0 to 44 year-olds. I all too may istaces, the drivers ivolved have bee drikig before gettig behid the wheel. I 995, statistics show that more tha 3,600 persos died i traffic accidets ad that over oe-third of driver fatalities ivolved alcohol. Impaired drivig results from a combiatio of two behaviours which, separately, are socially acceptable: alcohol use ad the drivig of motor vehicles. Puttig a ed to this combiatio is precisely the challege ivolved i reducig the icidece of impaired drivig. The various stakeholders fightig agaist impaired drivig (police departmets, provicial ad federal jurisdictios ad commuity groups) have itroduced programs to icrease public awareess, educate the public ad provide for prevetive ad alterative measures. The last major amedmets to the Crimial Code dealig with impaired drivig date back to 985. However, sice the, provicial jurisdictios have itroduced certai regulatios ad created programs i order to reduce the frequecy of this kid of behaviour. This Juristat presets a quatitative aalysis of impaired drivig at the atioal, provicial ad major metropolita area level for 996 as well as tred data. The corerstoe of the aalysis will be justice statistics (from police ad courts) as well as data o alcohol use amog fatally-ijured drivers. This Juristat will also provide a curret descriptio of provicial legislatio cocerig impaired drivig. Police data o impaired drivig Sice impaired drivig is a offece that is rarely reported by citizes, the official statistics preseted i this Juristat are, to a great extet, the result of police itervetio. I most cases, that itervetio cosists of proactive activities such as roadblocks, routie checks ad arrests for other traffic violatios. For example, uder a admiistrative driver s licece suspesio program i Nova Scotia, police activities resulted i suspesio of the liceces of,08 drivers for impaired drivig offeces i Of that umber, 59% of drivers were stopped at a roadblock or i the course of a routie check, 8% were stopped for traffic violatios, % as the result of a accidet ad % pursuat to a public complait. I 996, the rate of persos charged with a impaired drivig offece uder the Crimial Code declied for the thirteeth cosecutive year. The 78,894 persos charged by police were about the half the umber charged i 98 (53,855), the year the dowward tred bega. The rate of idividuals charged per 00,000 Caadias 6 years ad older (the populatio pool that may hold a driver s licece) fell 8% over the past year from 36 i 995 to 335 i 996 (Table ). The reductio i the umber of idividuals charged with impaired drivig is ot uique to Caada. This tred has bee observed i a umber of coutries. At a meetig i the Netherlads i 993, a group of experts from Australia, Germay, the Uited Kigdom, Hollad, Swede ad the Uited States reported a sharp declie i the pheomeo i their coutries startig i the 980s. Wilkis, K. (996). The coferece etitled Traffic Safety o Two Cotiets was held i the Hague i September 993. Statistics Caada Catalogue o XPE, Vol. 7, No.

3 Table Number ad Rate of Persos Charged with Impaired Drivig, Caada Year Persos Populatio Rate per 00,000 charged 6 years ad over populatio ( 000) 6 years ad over 986 8,797 0, ,030 0, ,78 0, ,7, ,6, ,97, ,805, ,53, ,58, ,085 3, ,894 3, Populatio estimates come from the Demography Divisio, Cesus ad Demographic Statistics Brach, Statistics Caada. Populatio as of July : Fial post-cesus estimates from 986 to 99; updated post-cesus estimates from 993 to 995; prelimiary post-cesus estimates for 996. Source: Uiform Crime Reportig Survey, CCJS. Figure Impaired Drivig Rates i Caada, Rate per 00,000 persos 6 ad older, Source: Uiform Crime Reportig Survey, Caadia Cetre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Caada. Nature of Offeces i 996 I the vast majority of cases (93%), persos were charged with operatig a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol cocetratio i excess of the legal limit (80 milligrams per 00 millilitres of blood) (Table ). A small percetage (5%) were charged with refusig to provide a breath or blood sample. Idividuals charged with the more serious offeces of impaired drivig causig bodily harm or death represeted the remaiig % of total charges i 996. Fatalities are the most sigificat cosequece of impaired drivig. I 996, a total of 33 persos were charged with impaired drivig causig the death of aother idividual. This umber remaied relatively costat durig the 990s. Saskatchewa maitais highest rate of all provices I 996, the rate of persos charged with impaired drivig fell i all provices ad territories, except the Northwest Territories (Table 3). Saskatchewa experieced the smallest declie (-3%), while Nova Scotia saw the largest drop (-4%). Police departmets i Maitoba, Quebec, Newfoudlad ad the Yuko also reported reductios of over 0%. For a secod cosecutive year, Newfoudlad reported the lowest rate (65) amog the provices. I 996, Otario raked secod lowest (79), followed by British Columbia (87). Saskatchewa cotiues to report the highest rate (78), followed by Price Edward Islad (507). Impaired drivig rates fallig i most large metropolita areas Data for Caada s 5 Cesus Metropolita Areas (CMAs) have bee available sice 99. It should be oted that data for CMAs exclude provicial police detachmets patrollig provicial highways that may cross through the CMA. Betwee 99 ad 996, the rate of persos charged with impaired drivig offeces has falle i eight of the ie largest metropolita areas (Table 4). These areas have experieced declies ragig from 8% i Motreal to 54% i Vacouver. Oly Quebec City has ot followed this tred; its 996 rate was slightly below that for 99. Two observatios have bee costat over the past five years. First, Edmoto has always had the highest rate of persos charged with impaired drivig (4 i 996); ad, secod, Toroto has always had the lowest rate (33 i 996). Statistics Caada Catalogue o XPE, Vol. 7, No. 3

4 Impaired Drivig i the Crimial Code Operatio while impaired Sectio 53 defies the geeral offece of impaired drivig: Everyoe commits a offece who operates a motor vehicle or vessel or operates or assists i the operatio of a aircraft or of railway equipmet or has the care or cotrol of a motor vehicle, vessel, aircraft or railway equipmet, whether it is i motio or ot, (a) while the perso s ability to operate the vehicle, vessel, aircraft or railway equipmet is impaired by alcohol or a drug; or (b) havig cosumed alcohol i such a quatity that the cocetratio i the perso s blood exceeds eighty milligrams of alcohol i oe hudred millilitres of blood. Subsectio 54 (5) cocers the refusal, without reasoable excuse, to comply with a order give by a peace officer such as the refusal to provide a breath sample. Pealties Subsectio 55 () provides for the followig miimum pealties for offeces uder sectios 53 ad 54: (i) for a first offece, to a fie of ot less tha three hudred dollars, (ii) for a secod offece, to imprisomet for ot less tha fourtee days, ad (iii) for each subsequet offece, to imprisomet for ot less tha iety days; ad maximum pealties of: (a) where the offece is prosecuted by idictmet, to imprisomet for a term ot exceedig five years; ad (b) where the offece is puishable o summary covictio, to imprisomet for a term ot exceedig six moths. Subsectio 55 () provides that everyoe who commits a offece uder paragraph 53(a) ad thereby causes bodily harm to ay other perso is guilty of a idictable offece ad liable to imprisomet for a term ot exceedig te years. Subsectio 55 (3) provides that everyoe who commits a offece uder paragraph 53(a) ad thereby causes the death of ay other perso is guilty of a idictable offece ad liable to imprisomet for a term ot exceedig fourtee years. Table Persos Charged with Offeces Related to Impaired Operatio, by Type of Offece ad Provice/Territory, 996 Provice Impaired operatio of Impaired operatio of Fail or refuse to provide Total motor vehicle other vehicles breath or blood sample persos charged Over Causig Causig Total Over Causig Causig Total Breath Blood Total 80 mg bodily death 80 mg bodily death harm harm Newfoudlad, , ,9 Price Edward Islad Nova Scotia, , ,444 New Bruswick,87 5 5, ,635 Québec 7, , ,098 Otario,85 8 3, ,57 6,587 4,686 Maitoba,76 5 4, ,08 Saskatchewa 5, , ,55 Alberta 9, , ,3 British Columbia 8, , ,767 Yuko Northwest Territories Caada 73,4, , , ,0 78,894 - Nil. Source : Uiform Crime Reportig Survey, CCJS. 4 Statistics Caada Catalogue o XPE, Vol. 7, No.

5 Table 3 Number ad Rate of Persos Charged with Impaired Drivig, 99 to % chage % chage Newfoudlad Number,467,36,737,754,333,9 Rate Price Edward Islad Number Rate Nova Scotia Number 4,349 4,5 3,495 3,79,86,444 Rate New Bruswick Number 4,078 3,934 3,356 3,65,7,635 Rate Québec Number 3,9,8 0,70 0,734,34 9,098 Rate Otario Number 3,96 3,95 6,80 6,40 5,995 4,686 Rate Maitoba Number 4,844 4,444 3,637 3,55 3,454 3,08 Rate Saskatchewa Number 7,595 6,99 5,806 5,53 5,675 5,55 Rate, Alberta Number 7,946 5,358 4,003,9 0,660 0,3 Rate British Columbia Number 3,59,9,67 0,087 8,96 8,767 Rate Yuko Number Rate,98,45,070,4,44, Northwest Territories Number Rate,46, Caada Number,97 05,805 9,53 88,58 84,085 78,894 Rate Rates are calculated o the basis of 00,000 persos 6 years ad older. Populatio estimates come from the Demography Divisio, Cesus ad Demographic Statistics Brach, Statistics Caada. Populatio as of July : Fial post-cesus estimates for 99 ad 99; updated post-cesus estimates for 993 to 995; prelimiary post-cesus estimates for 996. Percet chages are based o o-rouded rates. Source: Uiform Crime Reportig Survey, CCJS. Figure Impaired Drivig Rates by Provice, 996 Figure 3 Impaired Drivig Rates i Major Cesus Metropolita Areas, 996 Newfoudlad 65 Toroto 33 Otario 79 Hamilto 60 British Columbia 87 Motréal 77 Québec 34 Vacouver 83 Nova Scotia 37 Ottawa-Hull 9 CANADA 335 Wiipeg 04 Maitoba 350 Calgary 35 New Bruswick 435 Québec 335 Alberta 486 Edmoto 4 Price Edward Islad Saskatchewa Rate per 00,000 persos 6 ad older Rate per 00,000 persos 6 ad older Source: Uiform Crime Reportig Survey, Caadia Cetre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Caada. Source: Uiform Crime Reportig Survey, Caadia Cetre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Caada. Statistics Caada Catalogue o XPE, Vol. 7, No. 5

6 Table 4 Number ad Rate of Persos Charged with Impaired Drivig i the Largest CMAs, 99 to % chage % chage Calgary Number 3,565 3,094,856,43,47,44 Rate Edmoto Number 5,009 4,70 4,5 3,650,839,875 Rate Hamilto Number,465,475,88, Rate Motréal Number 6,305 6,98 5,595 5,946 5,58 4,773 Rate Ottawa-Hull Number,364,66,4,3,065,576 Rate Québec Number,794,8,88,08,093,90 Rate Toroto Number 8,090 7,340 5,90 5,878 5,387 4,65 Rate Vacouver Number 5,80 4,45 3,93 3,64,53,77 Rate Wiipeg Number,5,579,54,4,66,093 Rate Rates are calculated o the basis of 00,000 persos 6 years ad older. Populatio estimates come from the Demography Divisio, Cesus ad Demographic Statistics Brach, Statistics Caada. Populatio as of July : Fial post-cesus estimates for 99 ad 99; updated post-cesus estimates for 993 to 995; prelimiary post-cesus estimates for 996. Percet chages are based o o-rouded rates. Source: Uiform Crime Reportig Survey, CCJS. Compared to rates reported i 995, Vacouver was the oly area that experieced a otable icrease (+6%). The largest decrease was reported by Ottawa-Hull (-5%). Figure 4 Impaired Drivig by Age of Driver, 996 Vast majority of offeders are me The vast majority of persos charged with impaired drivig offeces are me. I 996, wome represeted oly % of persos charged. However, betwee 99 ad 996, the decrease i the umber of wome charged with impaired drivig (-7%) was less tha the decrease for me (-3%). Impaired drivig ot highest amog youg drivers I the public s perceptio, impaired drivig is strogly associated with youg people. Awareess campaigs ad recet provicial legislatio cocerig ew driver s licece holders, all desiged to chage attitudes, are very much targeted at youg people. The Revised Uiform Crime Reportig (UCR II) Survey collects, amog other thigs, the ages of persos charged. The data from the 54 police departmets who reported to this survey i 996 represeted 49% of all persos charged with impaired drivig. It should be oted that these data are ot atioally represetative. Data from this survey show that youg persos do ot have the highest rates of impaired drivig charges. Those aged 6 to 9 years represeted oly 5% of both persos charged with impaired drivig ad licesed drivers (Table 5). % of persos charged Age Source: Revised Uiform Crime Reportig Survey, Caadia Cetre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Caada. * Sample of 54 police departmets ot atioally represetative. While there is o sigificat differece amog age groups from 0 to 44 years, persos aged 55 ad over accouted, by far, for the lowest percetage of persos charged compared to their proportio amog the populatio of licesed drivers. 6 Statistics Caada Catalogue o XPE, Vol. 7, No.

7 Table 5 Proportio of Persos Charged ad Licesed Drivers by Age Group, 996 Age group % of licesed % of persos drivers charged ad over. 7.3 Licesed drivers iformatio cosists of a amalgamatio of data from Newfoudlad, Nova Scotia, New Bruswick, Quebec, Otario, Maitoba ad Alberta. Source: Data from 54 police services that reported to Revised Uiform Crime Reportig Survey i 996, CCJS. Traffic Fatalities The Traffic Ijury Research Foudatio (TIRF) maitais a database o fatal traffic accidets i Caada. The data come from two sources of iformatio: police accidet reports ad coroers ad medical examiers reports from all jurisdictios. The first full year of atioal moitorig was 987. I 995, provicial jurisdictios reported that 3,684 persos 3 had bee killed i traffic accidets. This was a slight icrease (3%) over 994. I geeral, however, the umber of traffic fatalities has bee decliig sice 989. The proportio of fatally-ijured drivers who were impaired has falle sice 987 Drivers represeted more tha half of all persos killed i traffic accidets i 995. About 85% of these drivers were tested for alcohol. I total, 573 drivers were impaired (over 80 mg / 00 ml of blood) at the time of the fatal accidet. The percetage of fatally-ijured drivers who were impaired has declied gradually from 43% i 987 to 35% i 995 (Table 6). The proportio of fatalities tested with blood alcohol cocetratios (BAC) of 80 mg ad less (icludig 0 mg) remaied relatively stable betwee 987 ad 995. However, withi this group, the proportio of those who had a BAC betwee ad 80 mg has geerally falle durig that period, while those who were completely sober has remaied stable. At the atioal level, 35% of fatally-ijured drivers had a BAC i excess of the legal limit. This proportio was 40% ad over i Nova Scotia ad British Columbia (Figure 5). Alberta had the largest percetage of victims who had ot bee drikig at the time of the accidet (66%) (Table 7). Due to their small umbers, Newfoudlad, Price Edward Islad ad both territories are excluded from this aalysis. Of those who had bee drikig (mg ad over), six out of te fatally-ijured drivers had a BAC over 50 mg. I 995, the average BAC i this group of driver fatalities was approximately 70 mg, twice the legal limit. High cocetratio of alcohol i blood of drivers seems to be strogly associated with the umber of fatalities. Figure 5 Proportio of Fatally-Ijured Drivers¹ Who Were Impaired by Provice², 995 Maitoba Alberta Otario CANADA Québec New Bruswick Saskatchewa Nova Scotia British Columbia 6% 30% 33% 35% % ¹ Excludes operators of bicycles, sowmobiles, farm tractors ad other off-road vehicles. ² Due to their small umbers, Newfoudlad, Price Edward Islad ad both territories are excluded from this figure. Source: Fatality Database, Traffic Ijury Research Foudatio of Caada. Impairmet highest amog fatally-ijured sowmobile ad truck 4 operators 37% 39% 39% 40% 43% Excludig the category of other off-road vehicles because of its low represetatio (4 victims), sowmobile 5 (4%) ad truck (40%) operators are the two groups with the largest percetage of driver fatalities with a BAC i excess of 80 mg (Table 8). Thirtyfour percet of automobile drivers ad 3% of motorcyclists killed i accidets had a BAC i excess of the legal limit. 3 This figure icludes drivers ad passegers of all types of vehicles (automobiles, motorcycles, sowmobiles, off-road vehicles ad bicycles) as well as pedestrias. 4 Icludes vas, tractor-trailers, heavy trucks, motor homes, light trucks, other trucks, buses ad emergecy vehicles. 5 The rate of fatal accidets per 00,000 registered sowmobiles was oly 8.7, compared to rates of 9.6 for automobiles, 3.7 for trucks ad 53.8 for motorcycles. Statistics Caada Catalogue o XPE, Vol. 7, No. 7

8 Table 6 Drivers Fatally Ijured i Traffic Accidets, by Blood Alcohol Cocetratio, from 987 to 995* Year Number of fatally- Not legally impaired Legally impaired ijured drivers tested Total 0 mg to 80 mg Total % 8 to 50 mg >50 mg Total % 987, , , ,87,00 43, , , , , , , , , , , *Excludes operators of bicycles, sowmobiles ad other off-road vehicles. Source: Mayhew, D.R., Brow, S.W. ad Simpso, H.M. Alcohol Use Amog Drivers ad Pedestrias Fatally Ijured i Motor Vehicle Accidets: Caada, 995. Trasport Caada, 996. Table 7 Alcohol Use Amog Fatally Ijured Drivers, Caada ad Provices, 995 Number of Drivers Blood alcohol cocetratio (mg) drivers tested Zero >50 Newfoudlad Number Percet Price Edward Islad Number Percet Nova Scotia Number Percet New Bruswick Number Percet Québec Number Percet Otario Number Percet Maitoba Number Percet Saskatchewa Number Percet Alberta Number Percet British Columbia Number Percet Yuko Number Percet Northwest Territories Number Percet Caada Number,94, Percet Excludes operators of bicycles, sowmobiles, farm tractors ad other off-highway vehicles. Blood alcohol cocetratio = mg of alcohol per 00 ml of blood. - Nil. Source: Mayhew, D.R., Brow, S.W. ad Simpso, H.M. Alcohol Use Amog Drivers ad Pedestrias Fatally Ijured i Motor Vehicle Accidets: Caada, 995. Trasport Caada, Statistics Caada Catalogue o XPE, Vol. 7, No.

9 Table 8 Alcohol Use Amog Fatally Ijured Drivers, by Type of Vehicle Ivolved, 995 Number of Drivers Blood alcohol cocetratio (mg) drivers tested Zero >50 Automobile Number,66, Percet Truck Number Percet Motorcycle Number Percet Sowmobile Number Percet Bicycle Number Percet Other off-road vehicle Number Percet Total Number,4, Percet Blood alcohol cocetratio = mg of alcohol per 00 ml of blood. Trucks iclude vas, tractor-trailers, heavy trucks, light trucks, other trucks, motor homes, buses ad emergecy vehicles. Source: Mayhew, D.R., Brow, S.W. ad Simpso, H.M. Alcohol Use Amog Drivers ad Pedestrias Fatally Ijured i Motor Vehicle Accidets: Caada, 995. Trasport Caada, 996. The Hard Core Drikig Driver Repeat offeders are a sigificat factor i iterpretig impaired drivig statistics. Recidivism is ofte the result of drivers who frequetly drive while strogly impaired ad who resist chagig their behaviour. A recet study 6 idicated that hard core drikig drivers accout for less tha % of drivers o the road at ight o a weeked, but their chaces of beig ivolved i a serious collisio are hudreds of times greater tha for sober drivers or drikig drivers with low BACs. The declie i the umber of persos charged ad i the umber of deaths ivolvig alcohol i the 990s could be explaied by a large umber of occasioal ad light drikers who have ceased to drive while impaired. O the other had, there is o evidece of a comparable decrease i drikig ad drivig amog hard core drikig drivers : Research to date idicates that drivers most likely to crash after cosumig excessive amouts of alcohol are also least likely deterred by the threat of arrest ad puishmet ad (probably) least likely persuaded by iformatioal or educatioal programs (Doelso, 989). 6 Simpso, H.M., Mayhew, D.R. et Beiress, D.J. (996). Accordig to Doelso (989), the recidivism rate of impaired operatio i Caada is betwee 0% ad 45%, depedig o the jurisdictio ad law eforcemet practices. For example, the Société de l Assurace Automobile du Québec reported a repeat offeder rate of 3% i 996. I a umber of areas of provicial jurisdictio, certai madatory educatio ad rehabilitatio programs have bee established for repeat offeders. It should be added that the stregtheig of provicial statutes i recet years has placed particular emphasis o repeat offeders. Dowward tred attributable to a umber of factors A umber of cultural (e.g. chage i attitudes), demographic (e.g. agig populatio), ecoomic, legal, social ad techological (e.g. air bags, ABS brakes, ati-shock doors) factors may have cotributed to the declie i the umber of driver fatalities. However, the umber of fatal accidets ivolvig alcohol has falle eve further. Cosequetly, factors more specific to the problem of impaired drivig, such as public iformatio programs, commuity programs agaist impaired drivig ad stroger acts ad regulatios cocerig impaired operatio, appear to provide a better explaatio for the sharper declie. Treds i Alcohol Cosumptio ad Gasolie Sales Impaired drivig is a combiatio of two socially acceptable behaviours: drivig ad drikig. Cosequetly, it may be cosidered that a declie i either oe of these two behaviours would partly explai the dowward tred i the umber of persos charged ad the umber of driver fatalities testig positive for blood alcohol cocetratio over 80 mg / 00 ml. Statistics Caada coducts a aual survey of alcoholic beverage sales ad a motor vehicle survey measurig gasolie sales. Although these measures do ot ecompass all aspects of total cosumptio, they are evertheless very good idicators. The figures show that the total volume of gasolie sales i litres icreased costatly betwee 99 ad 995. Sice 99, sales of alcoholic beverages have rise slightly. These two treds provide o explaatio for the declie i the umber of persos charged with impaired operatio ad the umber of fatally ijured drivers who had bee drikig. Statistics Caada Catalogue o XPE, Vol. 7, No. 9

10 Extedig cotrol over impaired drivig through provicial acts ad regulatios The provices are resposible for road safety regulatios ad cotrol (highway traffic acts, issuig ad cotrollig driver s liceces ad motor vehicle registratio, etc.). I the past few years, a umber of provicial jurisdictios have itroduced or ameded certai acts ad regulatios desiged to reduce the icidece of impaired drivig. These measures have helped lower the legal tolerace for alcohol i ew drivers, particularly youg people. The followig sectios briefly describe the provicial acts ad regulatios, as of October 997, which exted legal cotrol over impaired drivig. Prohibitio from trasportig a ope alcoholic beverage cotaier i a motor vehicle This provisio exists i most provices ad territories (Table 9). The oly mior differece cocers Quebec, where oly the drikig of alcoholic beverages is illegal, but the presece of a ope cotaier i a motor vehicle is ot. Prohibitio from the impaired operatio of bicycles ad horses Sectio 53 of the Crimial Code, which defies the offece of impaired operatio, applies to the operators of motor vehicles (icludig mopeds), boats ad aircraft. Certai provicial jurisdictios have exteded this Crimial Code limitatio to other meas of trasportatio. Price Edward Islad, Maitoba ad British Columbia have ruled that the impaired operatio of a bicycle costitutes a offece uder provicial law. I Québec, legislatio applies to ayoe drikig alcohol while ridig a bicycle. The legislatio of Price Edward Islad ad Maitoba also covers impaired ridig of a horse. Suspesio of licece for a determiate period of time for drivers with a BAC below the legal limit Certai provices have adopted a measure that eables the police to susped the licece of a driver who is foud with a BAC slightly below the legal limit of 80 mg of alcohol per 00 ml of blood. Statutes i Newfoudlad, Price Edward Islad, New Bruswick ad British Columbia provide for a 4-hour suspesio for drivers who are stopped with a BAC of betwee 50 mg ad 80 mg. Alberta s legislatio provides for the same suspesio for ay BAC which, i the view of police, appears to affect drivig ability. The Otario ad Maitoba legislatio provides, respectively, for -hour ad 6-hour suspesios. Lastly, police i Saskatchewa may eforce a 4-hour licece suspesio for drivers with a BAC of betwee of 40 ad 80 mg. New driver licesig programs more restrictive regardig alcohol use I the past few years, a umber of provices have itroduced, or made sigificat chages to, ew driver licesig programs with respect to reduced tolerace for impaired drivig. These programs are curretly i effect i Price Edward Islad, New Bruswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Otario ad Saskatchewa. Table 9 Compariso of Selected Impaired Drivig Provicial Legislatio - As i force i October 997 New- Price Edward Nova New- Québec Otario Maitoba Saskatchewa Alberta British foudlad Islad Scotia Bruswick Columbia Trasportig a ope alcoholic Yes Yes Yes Yes Cosumptio Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes beverage cotaier withi a is prohibited motor vehicle Impaired drivig prohibited for No Bicycle No No No No Bicycle No No Bicycle other vehicles tha specified ad horse ad horse i Crimial Code Drivig prohibitio for BAC 4 hours 4 hours No 4 hours No hours 6 hours 4 hours 4 hours for 4 hours below Crimial Code limit for for for for for for ay suspect for 50 to 80 mg 50 to 80 mg 50 to 80 mg 50 to 80 mg 50 to 80 mg 4 40 to 80 mg levels <80 mg 6 50 to 80 mg Graduated driver s licece No Term: years Term: years Term: years Term: years 3 Term: years No 5 Term: years No No holders program Tolerace: 0 mg Tolerace: 0 mg Tolerace: 0 mg Tolerace: 0 mg Tolerace: 0 mg Tolerace: 40 mg Miimum fixed suspesio st: year st: year st: year st: 6 moths st: year st: year st: year st: year st: year st: year depedig o frequecy d: years d: years d: years d: year d: years d: years d: years d: 3 years d: 3 years d: 3 years of offece 3rd: 3 years 3rd: 3 years 3rd: 5 years 3rd: year 3rd: 3 years 3rd: 3 years 3rd: 5 years 3rd: 5 years 3rd: 5 years 3rd: Idefiite Admiistrative licece No 90 days 90 days No st: 5 days 8 90 days 90 days 90 days No 90 days 7 suspesio Other: 30 days Seizure ad impoudmet No Yes No No Yes 8 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes measure Oly program characteristics related to impaired drivig are show. Zero tolerace is applicable to ew drivers uder mg for all other ew drivers. 3 Program is applicable solely to ew drivers uder 5. 4 Will be icreased to 4 hours i Curretly uder review for ovice drivers. 6 Ay level which, i the view of police, may impair drivig ability. 7 Techically, it is a drivig prohibitio. 8 Will be i force startig December st, Statistics Caada Catalogue o XPE, Vol. 7, No.

11 The programs apply to all ew drivers, with the exceptio of the program i Quebec, where oly drivers uder 5 are erolled i the program. I most provices, there is zero alcohol tolerace for learig drivers durig the two-year probatioary or graduated licece period. I Saskatchewa, the tolerace level is 40 mg. I all cases, licece suspesios are provided for drivers caught i violatio, ad those suspesios are graduated depedig o violatio frequecy. Fixed licece suspesio periods Sectio 59 of the Crimial Code provides that a driver s licece will be suspeded for a period of ot less tha three moths for a first impaired drivig offece. That period is doubled to six moths for a secod offece ad to oe year for subsequet offeces. The maximum suspesio period remais three years. Most provices have established their ow fixed miimum licece suspesio period: oe year for a first offece i most provices; oe to three years for a secod offece i certai provices; ad, up to five years for subsequet offeces. Admiistrative licece suspesio program A umber of provices have adopted a automatic admiistrative licece suspesio program for drivers tested with positive BACs. The purpose of these programs is to susped the liceces of offedig drivers prior to their court appearace date ad the judge s fial verdict. It should be oted that the court s judgemet eed ot ecessarily take the legth of the suspesio ito accout. These programs eable a provice to susped the liceces of drivers from the date o which they obtai a positive BAC result (over 80 mg per 00 ml of blood). The term of this admiistrative suspesio is 90 days i all provices that have itroduced it, with the exceptio of Quebec, where it is 5 days for a first offece. I additio to these admiistrative ad legal sactios, it should be oted that provices are icreasigly requirig offeders to pay all costs relatig to their arrest ad rehabilitatio. Offeders may also be required to pay ay towig ad vehicle storage expeses as well as the cost of the rehabilitatio program, which is ofte madatory. Lastly, i additio to a crimial court judgemet ad a crimial record, drivers charged with impaired operatio face icreased licesig costs ad isurace premiums. Seizure ad impoudmet of a vehicle Some jurisdictios have adopted statutes that allow police the power to seize ad impoud, for a limited period of time, ay vehicle drive by a prohibited or ulicesed driver. This measure aims to dissuade drivers of usig their vehicle while their licece is suspeded, ad to place certai resposibilities o owers to esure that their vehicle is operated by idividuals who hold a valid driver s licece. Regulatios of seizure ad impoudmet are i force i British Columbia, the Prairies, Otario ad Price Edward Islad. The impoudmet period varies from jurisdictio to jurisdictio. For istace, the time period is 30 days i British Columbia for a first offece ad 45 days i Otario. Jurisdictios that put this measure i place also have a review process for particular cases. Court reactio to drivers charged with impaired operatio The Adult Crimial Courts Survey (ACCS) collects iformatio o provicial court cases. I , the survey covered ie of the jurisdictios 7. Durig that period, the courts hadled the cases of 63,7 persos charged with a impaired drivig offece. Of all the Crimial Code offeces, persos charged with impaired drivig were most likely to receive a guilty verdict. By reaso of the ature of this type of offece, approximately 80% of persos charged either etered a guilty plea or were foud guilty. The covictio rate for this type of offece is high relative to other types of icidets because the suspect has bee idetified ad the police have solid evidece (BAC or testimoy of arrestig officers). Oly 3% of persos charged were acquitted. The remaiig cases resulted i a stay or withdrawal. Fies are the most frequetly used setece The Crimial Code provides for a miimum fie of $300 for a first covictio of impaired drivig causig either bodily harm or death. The type ad degree of the seteces used are relative to repeat offeders ad the setecig policies i effect i the jurisdictios. Of the almost 50,000 persos foud guilty, 66% were seteced to pay a fie (as the most serious setece), % to priso, 9% to probatio ad 3% received other types of seteces. I eight of the ie jurisdictios, the majority of persos covicted of impaired operatio were required to pay a fie as the most serious setece. I Price Edward Islad, over 80% of covicted persos were icarcerated. At the atioal level, the media 8 fie was $500. Fies were highest i Price Edward Islad ($900) ad lowest i Quebec ($300). Imprisomet more frequet i Price Edward Islad, but orders ot as log The Crimial Code provides miimum pealties of imprisomet for 4 days for a secod offece ad imprisomet for 90 days for subsequet offeces. At the atioal level, the media jail term i cases of impaired drivig offeces was 30 days. Due to a differet setecig policy from those of other jurisdictios, Price Edward Islad relies to a greater degree o imprisomet ad combied seteces i impaired drivig cases. However, it also orders, by far, the shortest priso seteces. The media priso term i Price Edward Islad was 4 days, followed by Newfoudlad with days. The Yuko Territory ordered the logest priso seteces (90 days). Impaired drivig (as the most serious offece) accouted for 3% of the seteced admissios to provicial custody 9 i ; a decrease compared to the proportio (4%) as well as the proportio (5%). I , Saskatchewa reported the highest rate (5%) ad Otario the 7 The survey period was from April, 995, to March 3, 996. New Bruswick, Maitoba ad British Columbia were ot icluded i the survey. 8 The media represets the middle-poit of a set of values whe arraged from lowest to highest value. 9 Data from Price Edward Islad were ot available for ad Also, due to a differet uit of cout use that makes data ocompatible, data from Alberta ad the territories are excluded. Statistics Caada Catalogue o XPE, Vol. 7, No.

12 Figure 6 Imprisomet ad Setece Legth for Impaired Drivers, Selected Jurisdictios, 996 Percetage Rate of imprisomet Media setece Yuk. N.W.T. Alta. Sask. Ot. Qué. N.S. P.E.I. Nfld. Days 00 Source: Adult Crimial Court Survey, Caadia Cetre for Jusitce Statistics, Statistics Caada. lowest (0%). I Price Edward Islad, 36% of provicial admissios i were for impaired drivig (more recet data are ot available). Coclusio The umber of persos charged with impaired drivig offeces ad the proportio of fatally-ijured drivers who were legally impaired are two idicators of the extet of impaired drivig i Caada. It has bee show that both these idicators have bee decliig for several years. These treds are likely the result of sesitizatio ad awareess o the public s part, combied with a icrease i the severity of provicial ad Crimial Code sactios. Methodology. Aggregate UCR Survey - The aggregate-based UCR survey records the umber of icidets reported to the police. It icludes the umber of reported offeces ad the umber of actual offeces (excludig those that are ufouded), the umber of offeces cleared by charge, the umber of persos charged by sex ad by a adult/youth breakdow. Uless otherwise metioed, all aalysis i this report is based o aggregate survey couts.. Revised UCR Survey (UCRII) - The revised microdata survey captures detailed iformatio o idividual crimial icidets reported to police, icludig characteristics of accused persos ad the icidets. The reader is cautioed that these data are ot atioally represetative. I 996, detailed data were collected from 54 departmets i six provices through the Revised UCR Survey. These data represet 47% of the atioal volume of actual Crimial Code crimes. The icidets cotaied i the 996 Research File are distributed as follows: 39% from Quebec, 38% from Otario, 0% from Alberta, 8% from British Columbia, 4% from Saskatchewa, ad % from New Bruswick Adult Crimial Courts Survey (ACCS) Provicial crimial courts i seve provices ad two territories (represetig approximately 80% of the atioal provicial crimial court caseload) reported to the ACCS. They are: Newfoudlad (.0%); Price Edward Islad (0.4%); Nova Scotia (4.%); Quebec (0.6%); Otario (50.9%); Saskatchewa (6.5%); Alberta (4.3%); Yuko (0.5%); ad, the Northwest Territories (0.7%). 4. Adult Correctioal Services Survey (ACSS) - This survey is based o the operatio of adult correctioal services (custodial ad commuity correctios) i Caada at the federal ad provicial level. It is coducted aually (o a fiscal year basis from April to March) ad is desiged to collect caseload ad case characteristics iformatio o adult offeders (8 ad over). Refereces Birkemayer, A. Impaired Drivig - Caada, 994. Juristat. Catalogue 85-00, Vol. 5, No. 4, Caadia Cetre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Caada, 995. Doelso, A.C. (989). The Alcohol-Crash Problem ad Its Persistece: The Need to Deal Effectively With the Hard Core of Drikig Drivers. A paper preseted to the 34 th Iteratioal Istitute o the Prevetio ad Treatmet of Alcoholism, Frace. Fedorowycz, O. Impaired Drivig - Caada, 99. Juristat. Catalogue 85-00, Vol. 4, No. 5, Caadia Cetre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Caada, 99. Joah et al. (997). Police Officers Perceptios ad Attitudes About Impaired Drivig Law Eforcemet i Caada. Report for the Traffic Committee, Trasport Caada, Ottawa. Mayhew, D.R., Brow S.W. ad Simpso, H.M. (997). Alcohol Use Amog Drivers ad Pedestrias Fatally Ijured i Motor Vehicle Accidets: Caada, 995. Traffic Ijury Research Foudatio of Caada, Trasport Caada, Ottawa. Simpso, H.M., Mayhew, D.R. ad Beiress, D.J. (996). Dealig with Hard Core Drikig Driver. Traffic Ijury Research Foudatio of Caada, Trasport Caada, Ottawa. Simpso, H.M. ad Mayhew, D.R. (99). The Hard Core Drikig Driver. Traffic Ijury Research Foudatio of Caada, Trasport Caada, Ottawa. Traffic Ijury Research Foudatio of Caada (994). Treds i Drikig Driver Fatalities i Caada i Caadia Joural of Public Health, Vol. 85, No.. Trasportatio Research Board (993). The Nature of ad the Reasos for the Worldwide Declie i Drikig ad Drivig. Washigto, D.C.. Wilkis, K. Pricipal Causes of Death at Various Ages i Caada i Caadia Social Treds. Catalogue o XPF, No. 4, Statistics Caada, 996. Statistics Caada Catalogue o XPE, Vol. 7, No.

13 Caadia Cetre for Justice Statistics For further iformatio, please cotact the Caadia Cetre for Justice Statistics, 9th floor, R.H. Coats Buildig, Ottawa, Otario KA 0T6 at (63) or call toll-free To order a publicatio, you may telephoe (63) or fax (63) or iteret: order@statca.ca. You may also call (Caada ad Uited States) toll-free. If you order by telephoe, writte cofirmatio is ot required. Recet Juristat Releases Catalogue XPB Vol. 6 No. 4 Youth Court Statistics Highlights / Statistiques sur les tribuaux de la jeuesse : Faits saillats de Vol. 6 No. 5 Vol. 6 No. 6 Vol. 6 No. 7 Vol. 6 No. 8 Vol. 6 No. 9 Youth Custody ad Probatio i Caada, / Le placemet sous garde et la probatio chez les adolescets au Caada, Violet Crime i Caada / Les crimes de violece au Caada Adult Correctioal Services i Caada: Highlights for / Les services correctioels pour adultes au Caada : Faits saillats de Adult Commuity Correctios i Caada: / Les services correctioels commuautaires pour adultes au Caada : The Justice Data Factfider / Recueil de doées sur la justice Catalogue XPE Vol. 6 No. 0 Caadia Crime Statistics, 995 Vol. 6 No. Homicide i Caada 995 Vol. 6 No. Crimial Harassmet Vol. 7 No. Setecig i Adult Provicial Courts A Study of Nie Caadia Jurisdictios: 993 & 994 Vol. 7 No. Vol. 7 No. 3 Street Prostitutio i Caada Justice Spedig i Caada Vol. 7 No. 4 Adult Correctioal Services i Caada, Vol. 7 No. 5 Crime i Major Metropolita Areas, Vol. 7 No. 6 Adult Crimial Court Statistics, Vol. 7 No. 7 Weapos ad Violet Crime Vol. 7 No. 8 Caadia Crime Statistics, 996 Vol. 7 No. 9 Homicide i Caada 996 Vol. 7 No. 0 Youth Court Statistics Highlights Vol. 7 No. Assaults agaist childre ad youth i the family, 996 Statistics Caada Catalogue o XPE, Vol. 7, No. 3