Thank you so much for the committee's time.
My name is Eric Lamoureux. I'm here on behalf of the Canadian Automobile Association. I'm their manager of government relations.
On behalf of CAA, I'm pleased to be here today to participate in the committee's review of impaired driving. The committee is to be commended for their investigation of this complex issue, particularly when so many Canadians are impacted by the destructive consequences of impaired driving each year.
From its establishment in 1913, CAA has been Canada's foremost voice advocating for road safety improvements and supporting the rights of Canadian motorists and travellers. With over five million members, CAA continues to advocate for a wide variety of safety initiatives that have helped guide relevant traffic safety laws, public security initiatives, and public policies in Canada. We continue to work with the federal government, our clubs, and other stakeholder groups to ensure that safe drivers on safer roads continue in Canada.
Like you, Mr. Chair, and the members of this committee, CAA, as one of Canada's largest member-based advocacy groups, is anxious to see fewer deaths and injuries on the roads as a result of impaired driving. In 1999 this committee tabled a report entitled “Toward Eliminating Impaired Driving”. The report concluded that the current legal blood alcohol content of 0.08 adequately empowered police to remove impaired drivers from the road while not burdening the justice system.
More importantly, the report stated the following:
...that a legal BAC limit of 50 mg/100 ml of blood could result in a loss of public support, especially since scientific evidence suggests that not everyone would be impaired at that level.
Mr. Chair, CAA's principal advocacy focus, on behalf of our members and all the travelling public, is to be a credible promoter of safety issues in Canada. As this is our sole motivation, CAA continues to support this approach. Until studies show overwhelmingly strong and consistent evidence for lowering the criminal blood alcohol content limit, it is our view that the current limit should be maintained and strongly enforced.
Therefore, in order to address the growing concern of impaired driving, CAA supports strong legislation, strict enforcement, and continued education to end the practice of driving while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication. It is our view that this is where the investment of resources should be made.
The committee's review of mechanisms to reduce impaired driving in Canada is timely and well overdue. Current measures are not providing adequate deterrents, and neither are they removing dangerous drivers from the road.
CAA was pleased last year when Parliament strengthened the laws governing impaired driving. The passage of the Tackling Violent Crime Act strengthened the impaired driving laws in Canada by giving police new tools to investigate impairment due to alcohol and drug-impaired driving. It also reduced the ability of those accused of impaired driving to evade conviction because of technical defences.