Fort Simpson (Dec 17/04) - December trails only July when it comes to the number of drinking and driving charges laid in Canada.

With the festive season just around the corner, RCMP traffic cops Const. Ryan Peters and Const. Sheldon Robb gave senior high students at Thomas Simpson school the lowdown on impaired driving earlier this month.

Last year alone, more than 2,000 Canadians were killed and tens of thousands were injured in drinking and driving accidents, the police said, citing statistics.

Consuming alcohol affects a person's vision, decision-making skills, perception and slows reaction time. Those abilities are critical to safe driving, said Peters.

Anyone who has more than 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood can be convicted of being over the legal limit.

That applies to the operation of any motorized vehicle such as snowmobiles, boats and all-terrain vehicles. Under new NWT legislation, anyone with 50 to 79 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood will face a 24-hour driving suspension.

How much liquor can a person consume without surpassing the legal limit? That depends on a number of factors including an individual's body weight, alcohol tolerance and consumption of food. Robb noted that only allowing enough time to pass will truly lessen alcohol's effects.

The penalties for impaired driving convictions became more severe in the NWT as of Dec. 1.

A first drinking and driving conviction will result in a one-year driver's licence suspension and a minimum $600 fine. With a second offence, the driver's licence will be taken away for three years and the offender will be sentenced to a minimum of 14 days in jail.

A third conviction means five years with no licence and at least 90 days in jail. After that, your licence can be revoked permanently.

Impaired driving convictions also cause your vehicle insurance costs to rise. Being without a licence and the resulting criminal record can make it difficult to get jobs, Robb said.

Peters, who along with Robb is based in Hay River, asked how many students in the room were new drivers. Nearly half of the pupils raised their hands. Novice drivers with any alcohol in their system can have their licences suspended for 30 days, he said.

"The bottom line: Don't drink and drive, please," Peters said. "If you do, we're out there."

Mitchell Byatt, president of student council, said he's heard the same or similar presentations over the past few years, but he added that the message is getting through.

"It is definitely making a difference, especially with the people who would normally consider doing that sort of stuff," he said.