CALGARY- A new initiative that could help reduce impaired driving has sparked some heated debate.
A private members bill to amend Canada’s Criminal Code would allow police to pull anyone over, at any time, and demand a random breath test.
“I think it’s extreme, I think it’s positive, I do support it,” says Travis Cross, who knows the dangers of impaired driving first hand.
Nine years ago, Cross got behind the wheel after a night of drinking, despite being four times the legal limit. He got in a horrific crash that left him with severe head injuries.
“I blacked out after five and a half hours of drinking, and woke up in ICU in Foothills Hospital with 22 skull fractures,” he recalls. “The doctors didn’t know if I would walk or talk, or even survive.”
He now shares his story in hopes of promoting better choices.
“I feel like there’s a mixed message in society that says ‘don’t drink and drive.’ But if you are under the legal limit, it’s OK. Well, which one is it?”
Cross welcomes the new legislation, saying he supports anything that could help curb drunk driving.
“The lines get easily blurred of how much is too much.”
However, defence lawyer Balfour Der disagrees, saying it infringes on people’s rights.
“There are countries in this world that let that kind of thing happen, and when we see it on the news we are appalled, we drop to our knees and thank God we live in this country,” he says. “We have rights and protection against the state.
“This is the start of a very slippery slope if you ask me. If we start allowing police to randomly test people’s breath for no grounds whatsoever, then what’s going to be stopping them from looking into our bank accounts to make sure we’re not funding terrorists?”
The bill was introduced on Thursday.
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