The Sûreté du Québec is looking into the possibility of publicly releasing the names of drunk drivers as a deterrent against committing the crime.
This comes as York Regional Police and the South Simcoe Police Service have adopted that policy.
“It’s clear that something has to change,” said York Regional Chief Eric Jolliffe. “Effective immediately, York Regional Police will name all of the drivers charged with impaired-related criminal driving offences, to further make impaired driving socially unacceptable and so that members of our community can assist with notifying police if these offenders choose to drive while under suspension. Innocent lives are put at risk every day by this irresponsible and criminal behavior. We are not giving up.”
Journal de Montreal reports Quebec's provincial police service is consulting when it comes to enacting a similar police across the province.
According to the Journal, SQ Inspector Guy Lapointe said, "We are thinking about it and making consultations, particularly at the legal level. There are several issues to consider. We are checking what is possible here by studying what is being done elsewhere in the country." (Translated from French).
"We publish names in investigations where we have to locate suspects or victims. We have several conditions to respect, said Montreal Police Spokesman Emmanuel Anglade, "Our goal is not to harm people. " (Translated from French).
Driving while under the influence of alcohol can cause drowsiness, poor coordination, slower reaction times, difficulty concentrating, and a difficulty of maintaining a constant speed.
According to Mother's Against Drunk Driving, an average of for Canadians are killed each day and 175 are injured in impairment-related crashes.
Statistics Canada reports the impaired driving rate in 2015 was 65 per cent lower than the rate 1986 (577 incidents per 100,000 population) and four per cent lower than the rate observed in 2014 (210 per 100,000 population).
In Quebec, collisions involving drunk drivers cause a yearly average of 110 deaths, 260 people to become seriously injured, and 1800 people to suffer from minor injuries.
If you drive drunk in Quebec, you will suffer the following consequences:
Penalties for a first offense:
Penalties for a second or subsequent offense(s):
You can be arrested by police if your system contains a blood alcohol level higher than a 0.08, if your driving ability is impaired regardless of your blood alcohol level, and if you refuse to conduct a sobriety test.