Alcohol Treatment in Grande Prairie
Grande Prairie, Alberta is a city in the northwestern part of Alberta. It has a population of 50,227 and therefore and a high population density. Its main industries are oil and gas, forestry, food services and agriculture. It has a great infrastructure that allows easy transport with whichever preferred type of transportation.
However, with all the streets in Grande Prairie there is also the danger of drunk drivers, especially later in the nights or in the early morning.
Grande Prairie Today
An investigation of the accidents of the years 2008 and 2009 by the RCMP of Grande Prairie, have come to the conclusion that in Grande Prairie the total amount of incidents is in decline, but the amount of fatal or impaired accidents has increased.
In 2009 there were 7,856 accidents which were investigated. Compared to 2008’s 8,073 accidents that’s 3% less. The RCMP stated that this could also be due to the fact that the economy has slowed down, leading to less traffic on the roads all together. Increased presence in Grande Prairie through the police has also helped towards this positive change.
Increased Drunk Driving
The amount of traffic offenses was lowered thanks to education programs. Due to the lower amount of accidents as a whole, they could be having an effect. Sadly, in the past year there were four fatal accidents. The methods of prevention and education still seem to work and lastly it is up to every driver him or herself to recognize his or her boundaries.
In 2008 there were also no rural-area fatalities, however there were 13 rural-area fatalities in 2007. Rural-areas are large, mostly empty areas of countryside and farmland. They have a very low population and population density.
The number of charges of impaired people has risen 71%, impaired means the people who were charged were under the influences of drugs. It has risen from 196 in 2007 to 274 in 2008. The main reason for the incidents is always the same: driving under the influence of narcotics, with high-risk behavior and high-speeds.
Drunk Driving Penalties
In Alberta, police are allowed to stop vehicles that appear to be driving erratically and are suspected to be driving impaired. Random roadside stops are also frequent.
If charged with driving impaired in Alberta one may you may receive a 21 day driving permit to make sure you can find other methods of transport. Once this permit expires there is a 3 month driving suspension, even if you are not convicted for impaired driving. A conviction can lead to a minimum 12 month suspension of driving. Should a guilty plea be delayed however, the 3 month suspension can be added to the 12 month suspension conviction leading to a minimum of 15 months suspension.
For the first conviction an impaired driver is fined a minimum of $600. Depending on other circumstances, such as where you were driving impaired at the time, or how reckless you were driving appeared to the officers in duty, it can range from $800 to $1200. This fine is additional to the minimum 12 month driving suspension.
Alberta Ignition Interlock Program
In extreme cases a judge may even decide for a perpetrator to install an ignition lock in their car. This is only the case for drivers who have had more than one incident in the past 10 years, or when the first offence was when the driver drove with a concentration of 160mg% or higher or refused to provide a breath or blood sample.
Those who meet these criteria get an ignition lock installed into their ignition system. The car does not start without the person using the system. If the device detects that the person has alcohol in his or her system, then he or she will not be able to start the car. All program activity is recorded and monitored as well, to make sure that the person does not manipulate the device.
Consequences
The installation ($150) and removal ($50) of the ignition interlock device are carried by the perpetrator and there is a $105 per month rental fee for the device as well. There is also a $63 fee for application, $220 for the “planning ahead driver program” or $545 for the “impact driver program” as well as a fee for the road test. All in all you end up well above $2000 with all these fees. Hopefully it is enough warning for people to not drink and drive.Getting yourselfin an alcohol treatment facilities in Alberta will help your case if you are waiting to go to court for a DUI.
