As The Toronto Star has reported, OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino’s has lambasted Canadian society over the increased incidence of drinking and driving in his recent open letter to Ontario. Citing unsettling statistics and polls regarding the rising prevalence of drinking and driving, Fantino has chided the public’s seemingly tolerant attitude towards the crime, saying that fatalities caused by it should be as disdainful as murdering someone with a firearm. Not recognizing the severity of the crime, Fantino notes, is a major societal concern.

“I remain incredulous that, with all the knowledge, awareness, education and exposure dedicated to the prevention of this particular crime, Canadians have either tuned out the message or tuned themselves out of the problem in the misguided belief that the consequences of drunk driving will happen only to someone else,” Fantino wrote.

Along with citing polls that state that the number of impaired drivers has increased, Fantino also took shots at the justice system.

“We will also need timely political intervention to fix loopholes in current drunk-driving laws that have become the hobbyhorse for defense lawyers to extricate their drunk-driving clients from the consequences of their criminal conduct,… all this leads me to believe that Canadian society has developed a tolerance for this particular crime.”

Fantino’s solution for the problem lies in the success of the RIDE program which he states has reduced fatalities. The program has checked over 650,000 vehicles since the end of November. The RIDE program has seen a 40% increase in the number of 12 hour license suspensions this year.

“The only positive outcome is a decrease in fatalities, to date, from 35 in 2006 to 27 in 2007 (during the RIDE period),” Fantino wrote. “This 22.9-per-cent decrease is, I believe, directly related to our increased efforts to detect and apprehend drunk drivers before they either kill themselves or, as is too often the case, kill totally innocent people.”

At Legal Action, we understand the severity of drinking and driving charges and how they affect society at large. Noting this, we also understand that good drivers can suffer from lapses of judgment and can be put under intense pressure in a heated political and legal climate. At Legal Action, we are committed to facts and fairness, bringing you the best in legal representation. Get Legal Action today.

As The Toronto Star has reported, OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino’s has lambasted Canadian society over the increased incidence of drinking and driving in his recent open letter to Ontario. Citing unsettling statistics and polls regarding the rising prevalence of drinking and driving, Fantino has chided the public’s seemingly tolerant attitude towards the crime, saying that fatalities caused by it should be as disdainful as murdering someone with a firearm. Not recognizing the severity of the crime, Fantino notes, is a major societal concern.

“I remain incredulous that, with all the knowledge, awareness, education and exposure dedicated to the prevention of this particular crime, Canadians have either tuned out the message or tuned themselves out of the problem in the misguided belief that the consequences of drunk driving will happen only to someone else,” Fantino wrote.

Along with citing polls that state that the number of impaired drivers has increased, Fantino also took shots at the justice system.

“We will also need timely political intervention to fix loopholes in current drunk-driving laws that have become the hobbyhorse for defense lawyers to extricate their drunk-driving clients from the consequences of their criminal conduct,… all this leads me to believe that Canadian society has developed a tolerance for this particular crime.”

Fantino’s solution for the problem lies in the success of the RIDE program which he states has reduced fatalities. The program has checked over 650,000 vehicles since the end of November. The RIDE program has seen a 40% increase in the number of 12 hour license suspensions this year.

“The only positive outcome is a decrease in fatalities, to date, from 35 in 2006 to 27 in 2007 (during the RIDE period),” Fantino wrote.

“This 22.9-per-cent decrease is, I believe, directly related to our increased efforts to detect and apprehend drunk drivers before they either kill themselves or, as is too often the case, kill totally innocent people.”

At Legal Action, we understand the severity of drinking and driving charges and how they affect society at large. Noting this, we also understand that good drivers can suffer from lapses of judgment and can be put under intense pressure in a heated political and legal climate. At Legal Action, we are committed to facts and fairness, bringing you the best in legal representation. Get Legal Action today.