MP Mark Warawa Advocates For Tougher Impaired Driving Laws

February 07, 2007

New Breathalyzer Technology Available, DRE’s to look for Drug-Impairment

Conservative MP Mark Warawa spoke in the House of Commons yesterday to advocate for improved impaired driving legislation in Canada during debate on Bill C-32.

Bill C-32 gives the police and the courts authority to use new technology in breathalyzers which make them immune to human error, as they self-calibrate. “Our police forces need to have the tools available to them to do their jobs efficiently,” says Warawa. 

“We now have modern technology that not only is designed to eliminate operator error but also prints out the results of its internal diagnostic checks that ensure it was operating accurately.”  The accused receives a copy of that print-out and can make full answer and defense.

“With the print-out to provide the accused with their blood alcohol content, the courts do not have to accept an argument that the reading is faulty,” adds the Langley MP. “We’ve got new, credible technological tools to help the police get impaired drivers off the road.”
 
Bill C-32 goes further to catch drivers’ impaired by drugs as well as alcohol. “It will recognize the expertise of a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE). The bill will require an impaired driver to submit to a roadside sobriety test, and if deemed impaired will be required to go to the police detachment for an evaluation by the DRE,” says Warawa. “If the DRE deems that you are impaired with an illegal substance, you will have to submit to a body fluid test; and to refuse to do so will also be a criminal offense.”

Bill C-32 will also close a loophole which encourages drunk drivers to refuse to provide a breath sample in the hopes they can’t be convicted. “We propose to eliminate this incentive to refuse by making a person who is “over 80” and is the cause of a collision resulting in death or bodily harm, or who refuses to provide a breath sample, knowing of the death or bodily harm, subject to the same penalties as the driver who, while impaired by alcohol or a drug, caused a death or bodily harm.”

C-32 will also raise the minimum penalty for impaired driving for a first offence to $1,000, and subject to imprisonment for a minimum 30 days on a second offence instead of the current 14 days.  For a third offence, we propose 120 days rather than the current 90 days imprisonment. 

“Bad choices are killing innocent people,” says Warawa who is hoping for all-party support when the bill goes to committee. “Logic tells us it’s the right thing to do, let’s hope that logic prevails.”