Wednesday, June 30, 1971

THE REVIEW

- PAGE SEVEN

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Let’s be optimistic and assume ae
~ you don’t have an accident. Or hit
any parked cars. Or speed. Let's as- .
~ gume you stay at the party longer —
than you planned and had three or
- fourdrinks — enough todrink to make
you legally impaired. Allin good: *
fellowship. All without malice. And
for some reason, you are stopped.

Here's what to expect:

Breathalyser

Police. offi-
cers are ex-

tremely adept at spotting impaired: — c

~ drivers, There are dozens of telltale —
~ clues. If you are suspected, you will”
be asked to submit to a breathalyser
“test. This is mandatory and refusal:
can result in serious charges. If you~
‘have consumed enough to give you —
a 08 reading, you can be charged...
with impaired driving.

> Jail Very likely, you will be:
a 4 jailed overnight. For the
average citizen, this is.a terrifying
experience. Impaired driving comes
under the Criminal Code, and. that —

ot

ee : Oy 7 ce TINY

is just how you will be treated. You —
willbe fingerprinted, asked for alias’,
_ relieved of your belt, tie, shoelaces,
-and personal possessions, allowed
one phone call, and be placed in a
cell, In the morning, your breakfast —

will be slid under the bars of the cell
door. You will find the night harrow--
ing and have plenty of time to reflect.

“In the meantime, your wife and).

children will be worried, distressed
and slightly mortified. ae

C4 Fines ‘The arresting officer's —
mY FO renort,corroborated |

‘by your breathalyser reading, will

normally result ina conviction. The

& Insurance The costs don't

number of convictions is increasing

every year.Over 12,000 are expect-

ed in British Columbia alone dur
ing 1971. If the Judge lets you off

with a $250 fine for the first of- 9 |
fence, you. can consider yourself
jJuoky. For having accumulated ten.

penalty points, the Superintendent
of Motor Vehicles will assess yOu —
a charge of $25.00, which will be»
used to pay for public information

al hundred dollars you'll spend on a
lawyer and you've dropped quite'a.

‘had so much as a parking ticket in
“thirty years of driving, you can expect moe

“and lawyers. When your insurance

messages like the one you are now os
reading.Add to this the $50 to sever

bundie. |

& Suspension

have never.

to have your right to drive review-
ad by the Superintendent of Motor- _

Vehicles, On his judgement and your
driving record, your suspension may
be one month, three months, six
-months, or even indefinitely. Se

stop at fines

company hears all about it, your

insurance premium wilh be sur-.

charged, That means your insurance —

~ rates will soar until you can prove _

yourself a good risk again, That
sould take years if you have no more ~

problems. And here's another. point

to ponder, Had you injured or killed

: payment from you. uae

Even if you gam

someone while impaired, your —
liability coverage was void anyhow. _

Your insurance company will pay
the claim, but they may demand re-

; Publicity

swarmwith court ©

reporters. In some smaller com: —

munities, your conviction will make

‘front page news. They will list the

details of your arrest, trial, convic- —
tion, breathalyser reading, fine and.

suspension. They will print all this,
along with your name and address,
for all your friends and business as-
grace youcanexpectaboutoneweek
afterthetrial =

“These are the hard cold facts of
how a jovial evening can turn into a

nightmare. The police have seen too»

many dead children to have much te
patience. The courts have heard too ~
many tragedies to give you much”

Criminal. courts.

a

mercy. And that’s the way it Is.

if

| -- Think aboutitnext time you decide to savea fewdollars onacab. es

Wop an | - Government of British Columbia Hon. Leslie R. Peterson, A.C, ithe Hench ak on Sn
cs _ Motor-Vehicie Branch | Nee Attorney-General | a ee

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