MADD Yukon asks candidates to support tougher drunk driving laws

The Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) chapter in Whitehorseis lobbyingelection candidates to strengthenimpaired driving laws in the territory, after a new report criticizedthe Yukon government's response to the problem.

The report, which was prepared for MADDbyRobert Solomon, a professor in the Faculty of Law at Western University in London, Ont., presents a bleak picture of the highrates of drunk driving in the territory.

Solomon notes that Yukonhas moreheavy drinkers per capita than most Canadian jurisdictions, as well as moreimpaired drivers per capita in recent years.

His report also found the number of road crash deaths in Yukon were 11 people per 100,000 in 2013 twice the national rate.

According to Solomon, 50per cent of those road crashdeaths involved a drinking driver nationally,the rate is just under 30 per cent.

The report concludes that despite those numbers and unlike most provincesYukon has failed to enact effective countermeasures overthe past 10 years.

"This is particularly troubling, given Yukon's high rates of per capita alcohol consumption, heavy drinking, impaired driving, and total and impairment-related crash deaths and injuries."

Government preferred personal responsibility

In 2014, then Justice MinisterMike Nixon told CBC News the Yukon Party government preferred encouraging personal responsibility over the creation ofnew laws.

That explanation doesn't sit well withMADDCanada's Yukon president, Amanda Price.

She said other jurisdictions have had success in reducing drunk driving, and the related deaths and injuries, through new laws.

"We can see the legislative change in other jurisdictions is working and having a very significant effect, like 54 per centreduction in deaths in British Columbia.

"I think you can always continue to do education and awareness, but I think at a point you have to provide law enforcement the tools that they need to get drivers who are impaired off the roadway in a manner that doesn't take up a lot of their time, and lets them be effective at their job," Price added.

Whitehorse resident Mike Dixon said he's been following the issue since learning Yukon is consistently at or near the top of impaired driving rates.

He said it's something Yukoners should see as shameful and a disgrace.

"Mr. Premier, and anyone else, the time for education is over, the time is to improve the legislation, to make it much harder and get these people finally off the road," Dixon said.

Questions for candidates

Price sent three questions to each of the candidates running in the territorial election in hopes of drawing attention to the issue. They include:

• Enhanced roadside licence suspensions for drivers with BloodAlcohol Concentrationin the warn range (.05 per centto .08 per centBAC) are one of the most effective waysof reducing impaired driving. Yet the Yukon is one of the few jurisdictions in Canada which has failed to updateits programs. If elected,will you support increasing the current 24-hour licence suspension period to sevendays?
• The addition of vehicleimpoundments, matching the licence suspension period for drivers who violate the .05 per centBAC law, have reducedimpairment-related crash deaths significantly in other provinces. If elected, will you support theintroduction of vehicleimpoundmentsfor drivers withBACsbetween .05 percentand .08 percent?
• Zero BAC requirements for young drivers are an important way to protect young people from impaired driving. The Yukon is one of thefew jurisdictions in Canada which does not have a zero per centBAC requirement to protect young drivers. If elected, will you support a zero per centBAC requirement for all drivers aged 21 and under?