Impaired Driving Charges Throughout The Years

Almost 1,300 Canadians lost their lives to impaired driving in 2014. Around 300 of the deaths included people who tested positive for alcohol in their blood. Because of the consequences of impaired driving, it is something that is dealt with extremely seriously by the law in Canada. Throughout the years, impaired driving offences have been slowing down more and more, and that can be seen in a positive light. If you’re going through a DUI case, you’ll want to get a DUI lawyer in Mississauga to guide you through the process.

Other statistics reveal that almost 19,000 people in Ontario were charged with an impaired driving offence in 1998. That means that almost 200 people for every 100,000 were charged with that. If you fast-forward to 2019, there were nearly 12,000 people that were charged with impaired driving in Ontario, which equates to around 87 for every 100,000 people in the province. You can see the downward trend from 1998 to 2019, but that isn’t to brush off the seriousness of the offence.

Not Providing A Breath Sample

If the police have pulled you over and asked you to take a breathalyzer, not providing a breath sample at the scene of a DUI is considered a crime. Going back to the stats from 1998, there were around 1,485 people charged for exactly that throughout Ontario. Jumping forward to 2018, the number dropped to around 559.

The lowering of the numbers can be seen as an improvement. If you don’t provide a breath sample, the charges will be associated with not complying with a police officer’s requests. If it’s your first time, you can expect a fine of $2,000 and a year without your driver’s license. If it’s your second offence, you’ll have to spend a month in prison.

Bill C-46 states that police are allowed to request a breath sample when they pull you over. It doesn’t matter if they suspect that you’re impaired or not. This alone provides cops with a lot of power to provide a breathalyzer in Ontario. Because police are allowed to do so, more and more people are refraining from driving impaired.

Impaired Driving Leading To Death

It’s no surprise that driving impaired can cause deaths on the road. If you’re convicted of a crime such as this, you can expect to go to prison for a good chunk of time. Throughout the last 20 years, the amount of people charged with drunk driving leading to death has changed from year to year. 

In 1998, there were 19 people charged with this offence. This is around 0.20 for every 100,000 people. Going forward to 2018,  25 people were charged with the offence. As more and more safety initiatives are put in place for vehicles, deaths will lower as a result of. Newer braking systems and vehicle assistance have gradually gotten better and better for vehicles. 

Downward Trend in Drinking And Driving

When you look at the year-to-year statistics, it’s clear that there’s a downward trend in drinking and driving charges. More and more people are beginning to use ride-sharing apps on their phones for transportation after drinking instead of driving themselves. Because of the availability and simplicity of opening an app for a cheap ride, the deterrent is helping lower the number of impaired driving cases.

Another thing that might be lowering drinking and driving cases is the sheer number of drinking and driving campaigns that are against it. No matter where you go, you’ll see commercials and advertisements deterring individuals from getting behind the wheel after drinking. There have been studies done on these advertisements that prove them to be quite effective.

You also have to consider the safety of cars is increased as technology advances more and more. Cars simply aren’t what they used to be. In the U.S., you didn’t even need to have an airbag in your car to legally drive it on the road. Ever since they became mandatory, the death and injury rate of people driving cars has decreased.

The last thing that might play a role in lowering the number of drinking and driving charges against people is that more people have cell phones nowadays than they ever did in the past. That means people can call emergency services much easier and more efficiently than ever before. Before the rise of cell phones, people had to wait on the side of the road for someone to pass them to alert emergency services on the situation. People can easily report people who they suspect to be drinking and driving much more easily.

Impaired drivers know that anyone can simply contact the authorities to alert them about the situation, and this might prevent people from considering getting in their vehicle after a few drinks. More and more people are gradually adjusting their attitudes to impaired driving, and the downward trend in charges against impaired driving has proven that.

Impaired driving charges result in serious consequences on your life. You’ll be dealing with income loss, fines, inability to travel to certain places, and a suspension of your license. Getting a DUI lawyer in Mississauga is the best way to approach being charged with a DUI.

Finding an experienced DUI lawyer can be a frustrating process in itself, but it’s one that will have your stress levels reduced following a DUI offence. Jonathan Lapid is a DUI lawyer that has been working in the field for many years. He has the experience, knowledge, and professionalism to help you through your offence.