RCMP are not the only ones keeping a watchful eye on drunk drivers. Yellowknife Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) have made it a national issue, one bringing 300 teen delegates from across the country under one roof this month.
Kirsten Murphy
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Mar 02/01) - Candace Underhay was 15-years-old when three Yellowknife teens drowned in a car accident off the Ingraham Trail.
"Knowing them brought the tragedy closer to home," said Underhay, a SADD member at Saint Patrick's high school.
Police determined speed and alcohol contributed to the 1999 accident.
Two years later, Underhay and her school's 40 SADD members are appalled at how commonplace alcohol-related deaths, disabilities and domestic assaults remain.
The several dozen SADD students at Sir John Franklin high school share in their counterparts' disdain.
"A lot of times it's the youth educating the adults," Underhay said.
"Getting smashed drunk every weekend, is a given for some people and that's a problem. Teens need to feel comfortable about not drinking."
Widespread implications
Take away alcohol and you take away a "large percentage" of police calls, said Const. Mary Lane.
Lane, who supervises the detachment's breath sampling program, didn't attend the Ingraham Trail accident. Lane is, though, affected by the crumpled cars and destroyed lives she's seen in her 14-year career.
Thanks to the Data Master C device, and its hand-held breath-test equivalent, alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents may start to drop.
The Data Master C recently replaced its predecessor: an accurate but 50-year old instrument limited by its own technology.
Lane said at least 30 more alcohol-related cases (not all resulted in charges) were reported from 1999 to 2000. The increase is due to many things, including the RCMP's crackdown on drivers and more efficient breath checks, she said.
Still, Lane and other officers agree more money for more officers would help keep impaired drivers off the road.
"We see the bars full and parking lots full and then a couple hours later the lots are empty. We're pretty sure not all those people are walking home or taking cabs," she said.
"And we can't be everywhere at once."
The bottom line is drunk drivers kill and maim people, she said.
Such sentiments are reflected in chief coroner Percy Kinney's latest report.
Thirteen of the 22 accidental deaths (a staggering 60 per cent) in 1999 listed alcohol as a contributing factor.
Staff Sgt. Terry Scott would happily hire more officers to keep impaired drivers off roads and snowmobile trails.
"We have a horrendous problem with (alcohol consumption) here and we do the best we can with the people we've got," Scott said.
Road checks are on the rise this year, Scott promised. And unlike the publicity surrounding Christmas campaigns, these road blocks will not be publicized.
Working with the police, politicians and other community groups is on the agenda when 300 Canadian teens meet in Yellowknife for the Canadian Youth Against Impaired Driving conference, March 22-25.
Underhay hopes to see SADD chapters start up in communities like Fort Good Hope where three teens recently died in a snowmobile accident.
At least eight NWT communities presently without SADD groups are attending the four-day conference. Underhay hopes they too will launch their own chapters.
"We're our future and if we don't work for it who is?" she asked.
St. Pat students and Sir John Franklin students are organizing the 11th annual conference. Teacher advisor Michele Thoms said this is the first time SADD delegates from all 10 provinces and three territories will be under one roof.
Refer to www.cyaid.2001.com for more information.
