Harsher DUI Sentences Needed

Once again, we've had a rash of drunk driving cases. The latest here in Milton in which a drunk driver rear ended a older couple Thursday night, sending their car into the path of an oncoming train. The two were killed instantly.

There has been a massive campaign to get people to stop driving drunk but such campaigns don't work. The reason is that most people would never think to drive drunk while sober. The problem is that when someone is drunk, they don't believe themselves to be drunk so they drive anyway. There has been a bit of a movement to put the onus on party hosts and bar/restaurant owners if their guests drive drunk but the truth is that people can leave unseen. Taking away keys is obviously the best course of action but it isn't fool proof.

What is needed is harsh criminal sentences to strongly discourage drinking before someone drives. First of all, on first offense blowing over .08, I would raise the license suspension from 90 days to one year. Second offense would be 5-10 years and third offense would see the offender's license permanently revoked. If someone is injured by a drunk driver, mandatory charges would be raised from "impaired driving causing bodily harm" to "assault with a deadly weapon". If someone is killed, the charge should be manslaughter. Lesser charges should only come into play if the Crown is sure it cannot get a conviction on the higher charges. These higher charges would ensure lengthier, and thus more appropriate jail times. Loopholes that allow drunk drivers to get off charges all too easy also need to be closed. Zero tolerance is also something that needs to be implemented. If we do this, we'll have safer roads by discouraging people from getting drunk in the first place.