Pubdate: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 Source: Alberni Valley Times (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Alberni Valley Times Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouverisland/albernivalleytimes/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4043 Author: Shayne Morrow, Alberni Valley Times Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?224 (Cannabis and Driving) IMPAIRED IS IMPAIRED, BOOZE OR NO BOOZE RCMP A policing trend which has recently gained attention on the Lower Mainland applies equally in Port Alberni, according to the acting RCMP commander. Over the weekend, it was announced that in one urban CounterAttack road check, police issued seven 24-hour roadside suspensions to drivers suspected of being impaired by substances other than alcohol. The Canadian criminal code has always given police that option, according to Staff Sgt. Lee Omilusik. "You can be convicted of impaired driving or driving with a blood/alcohol content over .08 per cent," Omilusik explained. Typically, a suspect is charged with both offences, and, in the case of a guilty plea, will select one or the other for the permanent record. Omilusik said the RCMP now trains drug recognition experts (DRE) who are qualified to evaluate whether a suspect is impaired by a substance other than alcohol. "Right now, we have to bring in DREs from other areas (for CounterAttack road checks), because we don't have one right now," Omilusik said. The DRE undergoes training to learn to identify the various symptoms of drug use, both prescription and illicit. Omilusik said drug interaction is a common problem. "Sometimes we get people who are taking prescription medication and then consume alcohol," he said. Officers use a an approved roadside screening device to get a rough picture of a subject's blood/alcohol level, using three levels: Pass (under .05), Warn (.05 to .08) and Fail (over .08) "A Warn gets you a 24-hour suspension, and a Fail gets you a breathalyzer test," Omilusik said. That is performed back at the RCMP detachment. But if the subject gets a Pass and is still behaving questionably, the officer still has recourse to investigate further, Omilusik said. "If they're sober or straight and just driving erratically, an officer can lay a dangerous driving charge (criminal code) or driving without due care and attention (Motor Vehicle Act), or he can still proceed to a 24-hour suspension," Omilusik said. But don't even think about haggling for a better deal with an officer who's investigating you for impaired driving, he added. "You're not going to get a bunch of options and be asked which one you want to pick," Omilusik said. Omilusik also noted another seasonal subject for police: driving according to weather conditions. Local RCMP are now seeing a number of weather-related motor vehicle accidents. And it's invariably because the drivers have been driving too fast on icy roads. "With the colder weather, the roads are getting slippery - especially in shaded areas," he said. Even if the posted speed limit is 50 km/hr, you can still be ticketed for going 50 under icy conditions, Omilusik said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom