Dear Ministers:
Everyone in the hospitality industry wants to get drunk drivers off Alberta roads; we all have families, live in communities and actively seek this outcome. I want to ensure that proposals brought forward by government are appropriately targeted to drunk drivers, not ordinary Albertans who may occasionally enjoy a social drink with family or friends.
I am concerned that introducing tougher administrative penalties for drivers whose blood alcohol content is between 0.05 and 0.08 BAC, as was done in British Columbia, will have unintended consequences for the hospitality industry and government alike. These include:
- The potential for people who drink responsibly and drive to be wrongfully punished without a fair and impartial hearing under the law.
- The potential for someone who operates a vehicle while legally impaired to avoid conviction under the Criminal Code.
- Lost liquor sales – 88% of BC licensed CRFA members lost an average 21% in liquor sales in the six months following the new penalties.
- Lost jobs in businesses that serve liquor because law-abiding citizens are afraid to operate their vehicles after consuming alcohol, even if they are not impaired.
Many of these consequences are amplified in rural areas and smaller communities where taxis and public transportation are not available.
Alberta accident statistics confirm that the majority of alcohol-related injuries and fatalities result from impaired drivers at twice the legal 0.08 BAC limit, as well as from legally impaired drivers who repeatedly drive drunk. Given how alcohol-related injuries occur in Alberta, I firmly believe the government would be better to focus its attention on stopping those people who cause accidents, injury and death while driving with blood alcohol levels well beyond the Criminal Code threshold, instead of focusing on responsible Albertans who enjoy a cocktail, or glass of wine or beer with dinner, and pose no real driving safety risk.
Please focus on evidence-based proposals targeting those impaired drivers who are well over the legal impaired limit and responsible for alcohol-related accidents and fatalities. We need solutions that will save lives - not ones that harass ordinary Albertans and cost hospitality industry jobs!
Sincerely,
A concerned Albertan
To find out more visit www.crfa.ca or call 1-866-300-7675 or email at mark@crfa.ca