The Making Ontario Roads Safer Act (Bill 31) was successfully implemented in 2015. With Bill 31 came harsher penalties that seek to both prevent accidents and penalize repeat offenders of negligent driving practices including impaired driving.

On September 27th 2015, Canadians learned of a terrible accident that gave a real face to the everyday risks of impaired driving, when the lives of three small children and their grandfather tragically ended due to the negligent actions of an impaired driver.

Marco Muzzo, the identified driver, was charged with four counts of impaired driving causing death, two counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, four counts of driving over the legal speed limit, two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm, four counts of dangerous driving causing death and two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm, for the terrible accident. Muzzo, who was drunk at the time, accidently drove his SUV into a minivan carrying six occupants, including the victims. In addition to the four lives lost, two grandmothers also travelling in the minivan were seriously injured in the crash.

Impaired/drunk driving has long been a major cause of motor vehicle accidents. A few statistics show the impact of impaired driving across Canada:

• Between 2008-2012, police officers reported seven hundred and ninety-three deaths around the country that were a direct cause of driving while impaired (this included people other than the impaired driver).
• Between 2009-2012, five hundred and ninety-eight people were killed by an impaired driver. Most of the victims were adult males.

There are many laws and programs aimed at decreasing these numbers. In the summer of 2015, Ontarians who traveled out of the province, faced the possibility of prosecution or fines, based on the amount of alcohol they returned with. Currently, one can legally return with up to nine litres of wine, three litres of spirits and a little over twenty litres of beer.

The Ignition Interlock Program is an in-car alcohol breath screening device that will stop the car from starting if it reads the driver’s blood alcohol level to be above the legal limit. Individuals with three or more previous impaired or drunk driving convictions are subject to using this device.

The human cost of impaired driving is incalculable. Countless lives, including the victims, their families and even the offending impaired driver, are all changed by the consequences of impaired driving. There are many advocacy groups that are publicly vocal about the consequences of impaired driving. Some extend services to help the victims of car accidents deal with the tragic and challenging aftermath.

The reality is that deaths and injuries from impaired driving are completely preventable. Simple steps such as not driving after a few drinks, having a designated driver, calling a cab or taking the keys away from someone who has been drinking, can prevent many accidents that occur from impaired driving.

At Burn Tucker Lachaîne, we have represented numerous clients who were a victim of this careless and preventable act. Our experienced lawyers can provide the necessary legal guidance and care, to help you be aware of the options that are best suited to your specific case. Our fully staffed firm has both French and English speaking personal injury lawyers who cater to clients throughout Ottawa and Eastern Ontario.

If you or someone you know has been hurt, injured or killed in a car accident or any type of motor vehicle accident, please call the reputable firm of Burn Tucker Lachaîne. Our accommodating staff will provide a free and confidential consultation at your earliest convenience. Call us today, visit us at our easily accessible location or peruse our website for more information.

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