The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

NEWS Life behind bars a possibility if drug impairment causes death M etro land file photo P o lic e r e m in d m o t o r is t s th a t im p a ir e d d r iv in g i s n 't l im it e d to a lc o h o l . M a r iju a n a o r o th e r d r u g s c a n im p a ir a p e r s o n 's a b i l i t y to o p e r a te a v e h ic le . • Continued from page 14 "These effects are readi­ ly recognizable and cannot be concealed by a motorist. If suspected impaired driv­ ing is witnessed, a traffic stop will be initiated by Halton police officers," said Snow. If a driver is suspected of being impaired by a drug, specially-trained of­ ficers will conduct a road­ side Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST). The SFST is a physical co-ordi­ nation test used to deter­ mine if there are probable grounds to conduct fur­ ther testing. If there are probable grounds to conduct fur­ ther testing, an additional 12-step evaluation will be conducted by an accredit­ ed Drug Recognition Ex­ pert (DRE). If the DRE officer has reasonable grounds to be­ lieve that a suspect is im­ paired by drugs, they can demand a blood, urine or saliva sample. Based on the results of the DRE evaluation, crimi­ nal charges related to drug-impaired driving may be laid under the Criminal Code. "The impending legal­ ization of marijuana will not have an effect on how Halton police enforces drug-impaired driving. Our service will continue to use the SFST and the DRE evaluation to apply the Criminal Code," Snow said. Current penalties for drug-impaired driving range from a $1,000 fine on a first offence to 120 days in prison on a third or subse­ quent offence. When a motorist is charged with Over 80 (more than 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milli­ litres of blood), refuses to provide a breath sample (any demand) or being im­ paired by a drug (subject to a DRE test), aside from the 90-day licence suspension the Highway Traffic Act mandates an immediate seven-day vehicle im­ poundment with towing and storage costs at the owner's expense. Drug-impaired driving that causes death could re­ sult in life imprisonment. "There is a prevalent misunderstanding amongst some adolescents that driving high 'isn't that dangerous' and even 'makes one a better driver'. In fact, driving high im­ pairs all the cognitive abil­ ities needed for safe driv­ ing," said Snow. Impaired driving is the leading criminal cause of death and injury in Cana­ da. In Halton in 2017, 46 drivers faced a 90-day driv­ er's licence suspension. This means that a full DRE test was conducted and the DRE officer determined grounds existed to lay a charge. Snow said that in con­ trast, a total of 475 drivers were charged with Im­ paired and/or Over 80 in 2017, which includes those charged with being im­ paired by a drug. That means 10 per cent of drivers charged with im­ paired offences in 2017 by Halton police were alleg­ edly involved with drugs in sufficient quantities where drugs were the pri­ mary cause of impair­ ment. "... it's impossible to know how often, when al­ cohol is the primary com­ ponent in sufficient quan­ tities, that drugs may have been on board in the back­ ground," said Snow. "This is relevant as it is commonly known that many users of drugs and alcohol engage in 'poly drug use', which occurs when persons ingest/con- sume multiple drugs, in­ cluding alcohol, to achieve their desired effect." Halton police says that if you witness suspected impaired driving, call 911. Sm all business. Big dreams. Small Business Loans. I Cheque Cashing. Loans from $5,000 to $300,000. Rates starting at 7.99%. Flexible payment schedules. Free, no obligation quote within 24 hours. For details visit us at: 2460 Neyagawa Blvd I 198 Speers Rd. 905-257-1917 I 905-338-6000 Tax deductible fees. Any cheque, any amount - postdated, foreign, personal. No holds, no hassles. www.moneymart.ca W e can help. M o n e yMart® LeaseBusters.com is the largest vehicle lease marketplace in Canada. We'll unlock you from your vehicle lease commitment... save time, early termination fees and penalties. Call now for a free consultation 1 -8 8 8 -3 5 7 -2 6 7 8 or visit us at www.LeaseBusters.com TB EASE USTERS .COM DON'T MISS THIS! maneRaB DAY 1000's of Products on SALE! renspets.com t o o ® ONNOW April 12th-16th, 2018 Oakville 4002 Trafa lgar Rd. Store Hours: Mon - Fri: 8am-8pm Sat: 9am-6pm Sun: 10am-5pm (905) 257-4611 | O akville Beaver | Thursday, April 12, 2018 insidehalton.com http://www.moneymart.ca http://www.LeaseBusters.com