Winter season, hockey season and now the festive season bring us a reminder the annual Festive RIDE spotcheck program is in full swing throughout the GTA.
Not to suggest the police only take RIDE seriously in the month of December. We should all be aware the RIDE program does live year round on our roads and highways as a constant reminder drinking and driving should be avoided and can often be illegal once consumption surpasses certain levels. Now it's no surprise the holiday season in late November and throughout December typically results in an increase of social activity surrounding office and home parties where consuming alcohol is part of the regimen. With police services throughout the province taking traffic safety seriously, it makes good sense during the festive season to increase the number of RIDE spotchecks and random police patrols to serve as a reminder to all of the dangers involved when drinking and driving are combined. Having said that, people are creatures of habit and the typical response I have heard throughout the years sounds something like this: 'I know my limits' or 'I know how much I can drink to not be over the limit'. Perhaps so. However, there is no exact science to validate either of those assumptions and therefore being responsible becomes more important than trying to evade a problem. Couple that thought with the fact the law has significantly changed since last year and people need to be extra cautious when drinking and then driving. While it is still illegal to drive a motor vehicle or have the care or control of a motor vehicle if one's blood alcohol level is in excess of 80 milligrams, a new threshold of being in excess of 50 milligrams has been added to the equation where a motorist's licence can be suspended on the spot, without drinking and driving charges being laid, for a minimum of three days and up to 30 days if a roadside breath test results in a reading between that 50- and 80-milligram mark.Now for those who believe the RIDE program only operates after dark and if they choose to have a drink or two over lunch they will avoid any road side checks, not so. RIDE and certainly the festive RIDE program is designed to operate at all hours and in fact it is alarming to see the number of motorists who fail or come close to failing a roadside breath test when they are stopped on their way to work in the morning following a night of drinking alcohol or while returning to the office after lunch. So the question becomes, how much can the average person drink and not be legally impaired? Unfortunately there is no textbook answer to that question and the only sure way to avoid feeling the affects of alcohol impairment, or being impaired for that matter, is to not drink any alcohol at all. Medical and police experts tell us any amount of alcohol consumed causes the onset of impairment, albeit perhaps undetectable at first. It is a known fact the body begins to go into a state of impairment once alcohol enters the bloodstream and as consumption increases, the level of impairment and the effects felt also begin to increase quickly and significantly. For instance, motor skills will begin to deteriorate to the point where noticeable effects include staggering when walking, slurring of speech and poor hand-to-eye coordination. There is no scientific formula to guide consumption or determine what one's blood alcohol level may be at a point in time. Therefore, once alcohol is consumed the only way to return to a state of sobriety is through the passage of time. There are no magic sobering formulas or remedies and those myths about drinking lots of black coffee or throwing cold water on your face are ineffective. Alcohol will begin to dissipate from the bloodstream once consumption has stopped or slowed down significantly. Researchers tell us the average dissipation rate is about 10 milligrams per hour and varies due to body weight and metabolism. If we accept the average and a person's alcohol level is right on the line at 80 milligrams, it will take about eight hours for the bloodstream to become completely void of any alcohol. This is certainly important for all G1 and G2 licence holders to remember, particularly if they decide to drive five or six hours after returning from a party or an evening out where they have consumed alcohol, perhaps to the excess. Parents and guardians, keep in mind your young folk if they have been out drinking the night before and now need the car to drive to work or school the next morning.All being said, let's not let the existence of the RIDE program be the sole deterrent. There is no replacement for good judgement, safety and responsibility.Be safe, don't drink and drive. Ever.