Canada Checkpoints...

I was with a friend tonight who had 2 beers in maybe 3-4 hours. We each had 2 beers around 10 at night, and this happened around about 12 midnight. Maybe 12:30 at the latest. We picked up some friends and were going to drop them off at a bar, then head home. We hit a checkpoint, and they asked my friend who was driving,if he had any alcohol. He said yeah, he had 2 beers a while ago, which was true. Anyways, they detected a smell of alcohol in the car (which yeah the people we picked up were drinking for a while) and they, the cops, took him back for a breath test... Anyways, he got a 12 hour license suspension, I don't know what you need for that, but I think it must be driving below .08% alcohol in your body.... He wasn't drunk at all, was fine, and we're trying to drop people off. Yeah he had some drinks, 2 but I don't understand the 12 hour thing with no fine or anything else? Makes no sense to me. I don't understand how these things are even legal, let alone can do that. It boggles my mind how others in the car are just hammered drunk, but no repruccisions (sorry for misspelling) and he gets a 12 hour you can't drive thing? Anyone more familiar with Canadian law than me?

Thanks

When you lose someone you love because of a drink driver.

Then you'll understand.

reply to post by theknuckler


Never talk to the police...

www.youtube.com...

reply to post by Chadwickus




I understand that, but below the legal limit... hence not drunk.. I don't understand

Originally posted by Chadwickus
When you lose someone you love because of a drink driver.

Then you'll understand.

My brother died at age 16, 3 years ago tomorrow actually. Him and his buddy were drunk, got into a car, smashed into a pole, driver died instantly, my brother died slowly and I imagine very painfully.

Drinking and driving is an extremely dangerous thing and hurts many people.

The OP sounds like he is from BC, I don't know for sure, but as far as I know we are the only province with the Graduated license program. Correct me if your not from BC.

Now the issue in BC is that we have an auto insurance monopoly called ICBC. ICBC and what Americans know as the DMV are in bed, ICBC dispenses licenses, collects fines, issues suspensions etc.

When you are ticketed, you have an amount to pay, lets say 200$ for speeding. But on top of that, you pay for the "points" associated with that ticket every year on your birthday. Additionally, the amount of points you get can determine if you lose your license. Furthermore, based on what tickets you have your rates also increase, and keep in mind you could have a couple benign tickets (For instance, not displaying you "New Driver" sign), and yet your rates still go up. Essentially, the entire scam is highway robbery.


Now back to my original point, as a responsible adult, anyone should be allowed to go out for dinner and have a couple beer, or a glass of wine.

Now that same person, lets say 6 hours later is driving someone home, or picking up their kid, gets stopped at a road checkpoint. Their thought process is that they drank so long ago that it has nothing to do with how they are performing, and thus is honest with the officer.

Now keep in mind, if someone is showing clear intoxication or in fact blows over the legal limit, they should be dealt with swiftly and thoroughly.

But what if they blow 0.01? Well, this is where the 12 and 24 hour suspensions come, which in essence are a noble idea. Some people can hide intoxication well, so restricting their driving till a time where they will be safe is completely acceptable.

WHERE IT GOES WRONG THOUGH, is that that 12 or 24 hour suspension, which DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE DONE ANYTHING WRONG OR ILLEGAL!

But, ICBC treats you as if you have, assigning points to your record, which is a sneaky way to tax the hell out of you as I already mentioned. And you could also lose your license, for a lot of people (since transit sucks in Canada) and some people live in rural areas, can literally destroy someones life. Loss of employment and education are just a couple of the possible problems.



[edit on 10-4-2009 by king9072]

lie to the police, they lie all the time.
your friend should have said , no i have not had any drinks , i'm the designated driver.

reply to post by king9072


Ah ok I wasn't aware of this law, I assumed he blew over the limit which is why he got the suspension.

Does sound a bit off.

Originally posted by Chadwickus
reply to post by king9072

 

Ah ok I wasn't aware of this law, I assumed he blew over the limit which is why he got the suspension.

Does sound a bit off.

No, and thats the entire problem. If society sets the legal limit at 0.8, then how can you punish someone for a crime when they're below that limit?

Well, the answer is that you shouldn't. But, what could and should be done, is the use of a 12 hour suspension. Though inconvenient, it ensures that people who blow 0.07 and maybe can't handle their alcohol well, are off the street.

The only issue comes in, when that suspension has baggage attached to it like I explained in my above post. Just like a lot of the solutions for society, it starts out with good intentions, and ends with gross misuse by those who have the power to wield it.

[edit on 10-4-2009 by king9072]