Impaired Driving Laws too Far Reaching?

[Sugarphreak]

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[JRSC00LUDE]

I commend Phil for entertaining overly ridiculous posts, I hope mine aren't on that level for him haha

[phil98z24]

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I commend Phil for entertaining overly ridiculous posts, I hope mine aren't on that level for him haha

No, you’re good. You’re a smart guy and genuinely give a damn so I appreciate it, and you also don’t say dumb stuff, haha. These posts seem borne of ignorance, it is what it is. Always happy to try and straighten things out if I can!

[mrsingh]

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Don't ignore me! Haha

I was just being dramatic for the sake of it with my post

I don't drink even 1 beer and drive, so I don't really care about this too much.

Mostly I just don't want to have things degrade to the point where I have a breathalyser shoved in my face on a regular basis for apparently no reason. I sort of feel like that is where this is headed down the road.

When push comes to shove I'd rather lean towards the path that best supports constitutional rights.

To be fair, I have lived in Calgary going on ten years now and have been through maybe three checkstops. It isn't like Vancouver where chances are high that you will go through a checkstop every second weekend.

I once was asked to provide a breath sample many years ago in BC, I was tired after final exams and got pulled aside at a checkstop, stone cold sober but just drained. I didn't find it particularly hard to blow, but I can understand some with reduced lung capacity may be concerned about being able to.

One thing I am unclear about with the new powers is when the police would actually ask you to provide a sample. I don't interpret as meaning they will just start randomly pulling people over and demand you blow. Likely you are pulled over for speeding, or a broken tail light, and at that time now they ask you to provide a sample. Or in the case of a checkstop, you provide a sample and be on your way like I was.

[ExtraSlow]

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To be fair, I have lived in Calgary going on ten years now and have been through maybe three checkstops. It isn't like Vancouver where chances are high that you will go through a checkstop every second weekend.

Yeah, we have very few checks tops here. I'm averaging one every five years or so, and I drive weekend evenings year round.

[killramos]

Yea I have never actually hit a checkstop, and I feel like I drive around a lot at peak checkstop hours fairly often (9pm-2am on weekends).

[msommers]

It's been years since I've been through one or even seen one. Fuck maybe even a decade now.

[Sugarphreak]

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[bjstare]

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Yeah, we have very few checks tops here. I'm averaging one every five years or so, and I drive weekend evenings year round.

PT Uber driver??

I've only been through one checkstop in Calgary, and it was over ten years ago. Also went through one in BC when I was in Uni. These things should be more common, IMO. Take some of the chumps out there hiding behind signs enforcing speed limits and reassign them to catch drunks.

[lasimmon]

I've been through 2 in Calgary.

One after hockey at about 11 pm.. No beers after hockey but quite a few before. Still blew a 0.00 so that was nice. Got read the riot act by the cop about drinking in driving for some stupid reason

Another on 10th st at the top of the hill heading towards downtown south of 16th ave. Waved through.

Also have walked through one downtown at 4th st and stephen ave.

[Swank]

I returned to my parked car one night to find a check-stop set up around it. I was parked on 9th ave beside bankers hall where there are I think 5 parking spots. They set one up right over the hill, smart spot for sure, felt like I was pulled over without even being in the car haha. Asked the officer if I'm good to go, of course he asked if I'd been drinking, and then he sent me on my way.

[Rat Fink]

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[Banff_Dude]

Have seen 3. 1) southbound MacLeod on the bridge by the golden gate garden centre. 2) on westbound Anderson by tsuu Tina 3) eastbound Anderson on that long straight away after you pass the library.

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Has Spikers naively posted yet about how we should just trust the police and never question them about anything ever?

[ExtraSlow]

You sure are an expert for someone who lives in Banff/St Tropez and has only been on beyond for three months so far.

[bjstare]

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The majority of my drunks I catch were speeders who got my attention. The “chumps” catching speeders ARE doing exactly what you wish

That's great. I'd be interested to know the ratio of speeding tickets you gave to sober people vs how many wound up in you catching someone impaired. 10:1? 50:1? 200:1?

My point was that I think (happy to be proven wrong though) checkstops get more impaired drivers off the road then speed limit enforcement. It kind of seems like you're trying to make the argument that cops doing radar are as efficient at getting impaired drivers off the road as checkstops are... if so, I'd love to see proof of that.

[ThePenIsMightier]

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That's great. I'd be interested to know the ratio of speeding tickets you gave to sober people vs how many wound up in you catching someone impaired. 10:1? 50:1? 200:1?

My point was that I think (happy to be proven wrong though) checkstops get more impaired drivers off the road then speed limit enforcement. It kind of seems like you're trying to make the argument that cops doing radar are as efficient at getting impaired drivers off the road as checkstops are... if so, I'd love to see proof of that.

If it was a waste of time, the police forces would allocate their budgets away from this but they don't.
The pill no one wants to swallow is that traffic enforcement results in so, so many other significant arrests & charges that get who everyone loves to call "the real criminals" in front of judges and behind bars. No one wants to hear that though because they get pissy about paying their speed tax from the same officers.
Criminals are dumb so a basic traffic stop for an expired reg sticker often leads to a pile of other discoveries. Visible drugs --> search --> arrest. Discovering the dude has an outstanding arrest warrant, illegal immigrants, weapons, etc etc. Plus, that opens up new investigations into that dirtbag's social circle and potential criminal bum buddies.
Their getting caught failing to use a turn signal leads to prison for what they should've already been in for. That benefits everyone.
I'm doing my best to teach my kid that when we see police with someone pulled over (hopefully it's not me, because that would be additionally embarrassing) that they are really just "trying to help that person remember the rules" so children don't grow up scared of police or with an us vs them attitude. Save that for Grand Theft Auto video games.

[bjstare]

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If it was a waste of time, the police forces would allocate their budgets away from this but they don't.
The pill no one wants to swallow is that traffic enforcement results in so, so many other significant arrests & charges that get who everyone loves to call "the real criminals" in front of judges and behind bars. No one wants to hear that though because they get pissy about paying their speed tax from the same officers.
Criminals are dumb so a basic traffic stop for an expired reg sticker often leads to a pile of other discoveries. Visible drugs --> search --> arrest. Discovering the dude has an outstanding arrest warrant, illegal immigrants, weapons, etc etc. Plus, that opens up new investigations into that dirtbag's social circle and potential criminal bum buddies.
Their getting caught failing to use a turn signal leads to prison for what they should've already been in for. That benefits everyone.
I'm doing my best to teach my kid that when we see police with someone pulled over (hopefully it's not me, because that would be additionally embarrassing) that they are really just "trying to help that person remember the rules" so children don't grow up scared of police or with an us vs them attitude. Save that for Grand Theft Auto video games.

You don't have to re-explain the logic to me, I get it.

I was just saying that I'd bet the percentage of traffic stops that actually result in impaired charges (lets stay on topic here, because I'm comparing with check stops) is probably super low.

[Rat Fink]

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[bjstare]

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I worked a checkstop (one of the big ones that makes the average person all warm and fuzzy about checkstops during Christmas time) and checked over 1300 vehicles and all that came out of it was 1 impaired arrest and 2 roadside sanctions. One of my partners went out on the early evening Dec 28 and worked a playground zone doing speed enforcement (the chump behind the sign as you call it) and out of 7 traffic stops he got 2 impaired arrests and 2 roadside sanctions.

Interesting. Assuming your numbers are representative, why on earth do the police bother with checkstops then?

[J-hop]

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Interesting. Assuming your numbers are representative, why on earth do the police bother with checkstops then?

What’s the first thing you think of after you’ve had a beer or two and jump in your car?

It’s hard to actually measure their effectiveness directly by how many people get caught.