Corporal Richard Janzen's stepfather was killed by a drunk driver.
You too may have had someone seriously injured or killed by someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Every day, on average, four Canadians are killed and 175 more are injured in impairment-related crashes.
It is estimated that between 1,250 and 1,500 people are killed each year by drivers who are under the influence. For Corporal Janzen, losing his stepfather was a nightmare.
"We have taxis, you have friends, and you have family," said Janzen, who is a Traffic Services Officer with the Manitoba RCMP. "There are so many options. Driving while under the influence of alcohol is not okay."
Alcohol isn't the only thing; however. Many people these days are driving under the influence of Cannabis. Earlier this month, a 27-year-old female from Dauphin had her license suspended after being charged for Driving on the Opposite Side of the Roadway. She had tested positive for Cannabis.
"As soon as we have a reasonable suspicion that someone is under the influence of a drug, we have a drug screening tool that we use," said Janzen. "It will test for the legal limit of Cannabis and other drugs. There is also a physical coordination test."
Janzen wants to re-iterate that the RCMP is on patrols 24/7 and if you are driving while under the influence, severe penalties can come.
These can include financial penalties but more importantly, you can severely injure yourself or someone else and in some cases, someone could be killed.
"We are out non-stop, especially with Mandatory Alcohol Screeing, officers are doing these at every stop," ended Janzen. "You would be surprised with how many impaired drivers we are getting from partying the night before."
