SPEAKING NOTES FOR
MINISTER OF TRANSPORT
DAVID COLLENETTE
AT THE 
16TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON 
ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND TRAFFIC SAFETY 

MONTREAL, QUEBEC
AUGUST 5, 2002

Thank you for that kind introduction.

It’s an honour for me, as Canada’s Minister of Transport, to welcome you to Canada and to this vibrant and cosmopolitan city of Montreal for the 16th International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety.

And it’s a pleasure to share the stage with Serge Menard, Quebec's Minister of Transport, and with Dr. Jeff Runge, Administrator of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Let me begin by congratulating the International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety, not just for organizing this conference, but for all the work you have done over the past 50 years to make the world's roads safer. And I would like to acknowledge the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec for its key role in organizing this year’s conference.

Needless to say, I’m very proud of Transport Canada’s contribution to road safety and proud of the role the department has played, as one of the key sponsors, in helping to bring this important international conference to Montreal.

As you probably know, this conference was last held in Canada in 1975 and this is the first time it’s been in North America since 1989. The progress made on reducing impaired driving in Canada in the intervening years has been impressive. In 1975, 59 per cent of fatally injured drivers had been drinking. In 2000, that number dropped to 36 per cent. Clearly, peoples' attitudes about driving drunk have changed a great deal. What once was considered normal social behaviour has rightfully become unacceptable.

Changing the attitudes of drivers around the globe requires everyone’s contribution; road safety is everyone’s business. All levels of government, the police, non-governmental organizations and the public have a part to play.

Here in Canada, many important players have come together to address the problem of drinking and driving. Governments - federal, provincial and territorial - have acted to introduce some of the most stringent laws and enforcement activities anywhere.

At the national level, in 1999 the Government of Canada changed the Criminal Code to increase penalties for impaired driving. We now have several offences - with a range of penalties from licence suspensions and fines to jail time - that apply uniformly across the country. The maximum penalty in Canada for taking a life while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is life in prison. The Government of Canada takes this issue very seriously.

Provincial and territorial governments have also done their part by supplementing the Criminal Code with new laws and procedures for dealing with impaired drivers. Penalties include short-term and administrative suspensions, lengthened suspensions, vehicle impoundments, alcohol ignition interlocks and compulsory medical assessments.

And on a related note, Transport Canada, in conjunction with the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, is undertaking a survey of Crown Prosecutors and Criminal Defence Attorneys to determine their attitudes and perceptions regarding impaired driving charges and prosecutions.

The information gathered in this survey will help Transport Canada to understand the views of those on the “front lines” of the legal system. This will in turn help the department to better assess and develop policies that reflect the reality of how drinking and driving offences are processed in the courts, what aspects of the system work well, and where there may still be room for improvement.

It is clear that, working together, governments have established a framework for ensuring that penalties match the crime.

And of course police forces across the country have the responsibility to enforce these laws, including special crackdowns around major holidays, as well as during the summer months.

But let’s not forget the part non-governmental groups have played. Groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, for example, deserve much credit for focussing the Canadian public’s attention on this important issue. Public participation in campaigns like Operation Red Nose, and in choosing options such as using designated drivers, the general public has helped make impaired driving not just a crime, but an offence against society. It’s this groundswell that makes it possible for governments and police to do their part.

But, the problem has not gone away entirely. We’re doing better, but there are still too many collisions involving impaired drivers. Too many deaths - more than 1,000 every year in Canada related to drinking and driving, and even more serious injuries. The result is a terrible cost in human suffering, and a huge cost in health care, property damage and lost wages-totalling an estimated $9 million every day.

Improving the safety of Canada’s road transportation system is the goal of a wide-ranging safety program first introduced by Transport Canada in 1996, and then updated and reaffirmed in April of last year - Road Safety Vision 2010. A key component of this program, that specifically addresses the issue of drinking and driving, is the Strategy to Reduce Impaired Driving 2010 - also known as STRID 2010.

Through this federal/provincial strategy, governments and police forces are working together to find ways to continue to cut the numbers of fatalities and serious injuries involving drinking drivers by 40 per cent.

One of my officials, Brian Jonah, will provide more details of Road Safety Vision 2010 tomorrow. I also understand that STRID 2010 will be described more fully at a session later this afternoon.

Impaired drivers are not all alike, so we’re looking at different strategies for different groups - the hard core drinking drivers, young drivers, first offenders and social drinkers. And we are looking at impairment by substances other than alcohol, as well as fatigue and distractions like driving while eating or using a cell phone.

Finally, we’re also always looking for ways to improve partnerships. Transport Canada, in co-operation with Health Canada, is developing a strategic framework for better collaboration of road safety, public health and injury prevention research, policy and programs.

Since the last ICADTS conference in Canada, the impaired driving situation has improved significantly. And what I find most gratifying is the improvement among young drivers who are taking the messages to heart. But this is still a serious issue that needs constant attention. Road safety remains a key priority for the Government of Canada and for Transport Canada, and we would be pleased to offer our help and share our experiences with other countries.

Over the rest of this week, you will discuss research projects, policies and programs relating to impaired driving. But this conference is not just about research, or policies, or programs. It’s about people. It’s about a child growing up without a father. It's about a young adult facing life in a wheelchair. It’s about parents grieving the loss of their children. And it's about finding ways to put a stop to these tragedies.

On behalf of these people, I wish you a very successful conference.

Thank you.