Some RCMP members believe that Bill 26 is a good rule that will help keep the highways safer.ìI've been in this job a lot of years and I'm of the opinion of zero tolerance,î said Sgt. Percy Leipnitz of the Sundre RCMP detachment. ìBill 26 can only help deter people from drinking and driving.Bill 26 is the province's new impaired driving legislation, which was introduced in the Alberta legislature by Transportation Minister Ray Danyluk.Danyluk said the bill ñ which was passed on Dec. 6 - balances prevention and education with tougher sanctions, including the seizure of vehicles.The bill has received mixed reviews from politicians, including Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills MLA Richard Marz, who did not support the legislation. Additionally, it has raised the ire of rural restaurant owners, who say their bottom line would be affected.ìThe reality is, lives will be saved off the road,î Leipnitz added. ìTo me, that's more important than selling a glass of wine.îFrom a public safety standpoint, any type of legislation that will get impaired drivers off the road should be supported, said Alberta RCMP spokesman Sgt. Tim Taniguchi.ìAs a police officer, if I could reduce the number of times that we have to notify a family that their relative has been killed due to an impaired driver, that's a good thing,î Taniguchi said. ìThat's a very difficult thing to tell somebody and it's frustrating when you know a death could have been prevented.îHe said he realized that there are aspects that make it tougher to go for a drink.ìIs one drink going to put you over .05? I don't think so,î he said. ìBut everybody's tolerance level is different. You're always taking a chance and most people never stop at one.îEnforcement will be ìpretty straightforward,î he said. ìFor us to enforce it, we'll just stop a car and if the driver is showing any signs of being impaired, they'll blow.îTaxi service can be hard to find in rural areas, he admitted, which is why it's important to plan ahead.ìIf you're going to drink, you shouldn't be driving,î Leipnitz said. ìMake alternate arrangements and find another way to get home.îDidsbury RCMP say they are waiting for more information before they comment on how the new legislation will affect frontline policing.
