One of the major concerns of the Durham Regional Police and the Snowmobile Trail Officer Patrol (S.T.O.P.) program are the snowmobile operators who choose to drink and drive. Three major factors in snowmobile fatalities are alcohol use, night-time riding, and speed.
In a study on snowmobile fatalities in the Province of Ontario (Canadian Journal of Public Health; January – February 1998), 65% of the snowmobile drivers who died had over the legal limit of alcohol in their blood.
There are still people out there who would never think of driving impaired to their cottage or to visit a friend. Once there and after a few drinks they don’t seem to think about jumping on a snowmobile and going for a ride.
For those few individuals keep this in mind, the Criminal Code of Canada Section 253 (a), impaired driving offence, is for persons who operate or have the ability to set a motor vehicle in motion while their ability to drive is impaired by alcohol or drug. In the Criminal Code a motor vehicle is anything powered other than by muscular power. This means a car, truck, golf cart, or a snowmobile.
Knowing this these same individuals should also know that if they are caught drinking and driving a snowmobile they will be arrested, their snowmobile could be impounded, and the driver is susceptible to the same penalties as if they were caught driving their car. It could mean a fine and loss of their driver’s license and even a term of imprisonment. A consequence far greater than that, would be the loss of life, theirs’ or some innocent persons.
When the Durham Regional Police and S.T.O.P. officers are out doing spot checks they carry an "Alcotest" roadside screening device. When a demand is read to a snowmobile operator they are required by law to provide a sample of their breath. If they refuse to do so they can be arrested and charged with Refuse Breath Sample, which on conviction could result in the same consequences as the impaired charge.
If they should blow into the screening device and blow a “fail” they would be arrested and taken to the nearest police station for an Intoxilyzer test. If they were to blow over the legal limit at that time the driver would be charged with Exceed 80 mg. Once again this charge carries the same penalty as Impaired Driving or Refuse Breath Sample.
Snowmobiling is enjoyed in Durham Region by a variety of people, from all walks of life including the young and the old. It is our aim to reduce the incidents of drinking and driving, making the sport of snowmobiling safer for everyone.
Cst. Douglas Morse
Durham Regional Police S.T.O.P. Co-ordinator