TIGNISH — A West Prince MLA who spent the Christmas and New Year’s festive season volunteering as a designated driver says society can accept nothing more than zero tolerance for impaired driving.
“It can happen at any time of the year, 24/7,” Tignish-Palmer Road MLA Hal Perry said of drinking and driving.
Perry is meeting with the West Prince MADD Chapter to discuss possibly establishing an organization to provide a designated driver service in rural P.E.I., from one end of the province to the other, year-round.
Perry said the service he provided from Dec. 21 until the evening of Jan. 1 was really one of education and awareness. He said it shone a spotlight on the issue of drinking and driving and demonstrated options available.
“With education and awareness there should be no need for people drinking and driving,” said Perry.
But, he added, the statistics and the demographics are alarming. The majority of the offenders, noted Perry, are either under 25 or over 55, and many are repeat offenders.
“That should not be tolerated,” he said. “We as a society have an opportunity now to say, ‘no, we will not tolerate this anymore. Zero tolerance.”
The MLA said he provided transportation to more than 80 people during the festive season, up from 51 during the nights he provided the service the previous year.
“I have teenaged boys at home and I want to teach them there comes a responsibility with driving, there comes a responsibility with drinking." - Tignish-Palmer Road MLA Hal Perry
New Year’s Eve was his busiest night both years and was even busier this year.
His passengers were appreciative of the service and supportive of the cause, Perry revealed.
Although he didn’t seek it, Perry said he had help this year, including a rental company that provided him with free use of a 2013 van for five nights, and people who helped cover his gas expense.
“I had one lady who insisted,” he revealed “She said ‘I lost my mother to a drunk driver and this would be my part in helping provide some service or help in saving another life’.”
Besides helping to ensure revelers had a sober ride home Perry wanted to provide an example.
“I have teenaged boys at home and I want to teach them there comes a responsibility with driving, there comes a responsibility with drinking,” he said.
“And not only don’t get behind the wheel if you’re drinking, but don’t get into a vehicle with a person who's behind the wheel who is drinking.”
This is one of the dumber ideas I've seen in a long time. It is not the government's responsibility to provide you with a drive home after you've been out drinking. The government is funded by taxpayer money which includes my tax dollars. Why should I as a responsible drinker have to pay for some irresponsible idiot? Come on people take some personal responsibilty for your actions! If you are going drinking there are lots of responsible personal choices you can make to ensure you get home safely. You can choose not to drink excessively, you can take turns with a friend or partner to be each other's sober designated driver, you can make plans to stay in the area that you will be drinking so that you don't have to get behind the wheel, or you can phone a friend or a cab to come get you. Most good friends would be happy to get you if it kept an impaired driver off the road. That's assuming you're not calling them every weekend of course. Even if you live in the country and try to say that a cab is too expensive, compare that cost with the cost of a fine for impaired coupled with the expensive and difficult to obtain insurance, not to mention the inconvenience of jail, lost time from work and the personal embarrassment of being arrested and that $40 or $50 cab ride will look pretty cheap. If you don't find any of these options palatable maybe you should stay home and drink or maybe just go without the booze. Trust me your world won't end because you didn't get your drink on a Friday or Saturday night. If you think it will then you have a bigger problem. Its called alcoholism!