The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
If you've been drinking, you do have options Too many Canadians choose to take the wheel after they've been drinking. Surveys show there may be over eight million road trips a year during which the driver is impaired. Those between 19 and 34 are the most likely to drive after drinking. Not a smart choice. In 2001 there were 874 road fatalities that involved a drinking driver. Of these, drinking drivers themselves accounted for over half (445). About one-quarter of the fatalities were passengers of drinking drivers ? in many cases also the result of an unwise personal choice. For this year's National Safe Driving Week, December 1 to 7, the Canada Safety Council is urging Canadians to drive sober ? or plan on an alternate way to get home safely. "Call a family member, a friend or a cab for a safe ride home from a holiday celebration," advises Canada Safety Council president Emile Therien. "A designated driver is another good option, but choosing to ride with a driver who's been drinking is not. Maybe you can stay overnight. But taking the wheel is absolutely not an option if you think you may be impaired." Sobering Stats In a 2002 survey, 16 percent of drivers admitted to drinking after driving. Two-thirds did so once or twice in the previous month but close to 15 percent had done so more than four times. Eight percent of drivers had driven a vehicle at some time in the past year when they thought they were over the legal limit. That translates into 1.7 million drivers. Of these, 23 percent have driven impaired four or more times, making a total of eight million impaired driving trips.
