Alcohol and Drugs Among Crash Victims

Crashes involving alcohol and drugs are a leading criminal cause of death in Canada. Every day, on average, up to four Canadians are killed and many more are injured in alcohol and drug-related motor vehicle crashes on public roads.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), in 2014, road crashes claimed an estimated 2,297 lives. Based on testing of fatally-injured drivers, it may be estimated that 1,273 (55.4%) of these deaths resulted from crashes in which an individual was positive for alcohol and/or drugs.

The fact that the number of fatalities involving drugs alone is double, those involving alcohol alone reflects the growing incidence of driving after drug use. Cannabis, the most commonly-found drug, is present in almost half of the drug-positive fatal crashes.

Cannabis became legal in Canada on October 2018 and soon the edibles will be available on market. What will happen with car insurance? Milénio Stadium talked with Fernando Rio, the Humberview Insurance Brokers owner, that has 37 years of experience in this area and tried to have an answer to this and other questions. 

According to the City of Toronto, who has created in 2017 the Vision Zero Plan, a program that wants to make the streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, compared to the top 10 largest North American cities, Toronto’s fatality rate is among the lowest. However, Vision Zero wants to continue to make advancements in road safety.

Established in 1982, Humberview Insurance Brokers started off with a small office in Toronto by High Park. Today the insurance company is also located in Tillsongburg and in Mississauga. Humberview Insurance Brokers works with different kinds of insurance – landlord, business, home and car.

Milénio Stadium: Crashes involving alcohol and/or drugs are a leading criminal cause of death in Canada. How can we change these numbers?

Fernando Rio: A lot has been done, and a lot of money spent in awareness programs, by governments, police, and private organizations, such as MAAD, with little results. I believe that government should require car makers to install an alcohol and drug sensors, that disables the car ignition, if the driver is impaired. This is the only way to prevent people from driving under the influence. Statistics show a large number of repeat offenders, therefore punishing people with tickets and license suspensions  is not working, and wait for people to be killed before taking action should not be the only option.

Milénio Stadium: In the past years City of Toronto has enforced Vision Zero Safety Road Plan. What is your opinion about this?

Fernando Rio: The intentions are good, but again it has shown very little results. This city program focus mostly on cars, and ignores the responsibility of pedestrians and cyclists, although statistics show that they are as much to blame for accidents, as car drivers. 

Milénio Stadium: What affects our car insurance rate and how can we save on our car insurance?

Fernando Rio: There are a lot of components that affects car insurance premiums, such as: drivers age, driving record, past accidents, driving convictions, type of vehicle, and area of residence. One can save on car insurance, by doing some basics. First, before purchasing a vehicle, call the insurance broker/agent and inquire which vehicles have lower insurance rates, the type of car can make a significant difference on the premium.

Also try to combine home and auto insurance, as most companies give multi-policy discounts. If the client does not own a property, can always get tenants insurance, that protects his/her belongings, liability to others, and a significant discount on the car policy.

Another recommended thing to do: on renewal, call the Broker and ask them to shop around with other companies they might have. Most Brokers work with several different companies, and the one used two or three years ago might not be the lowest today, as things in this industry continuously change.  And finally, my best advise ever, always try not to have accidents and tickets.

Milénio Stadium: Some neighborhoods have lower car insurance rates than others. What are the rates in Davenport, the neighborhood with more Portuguese people in the country?

Fernando Rio: Insurance companies used postal codes to established areas with higher number of claims, and insurance pricing supposed to be based on that. Again if one is thinking about moving, should first inquire the impact the move will have on the insurance rates. Take into consideration that as I said before, things always change, and a lower postal code today, might not be the same years from now.

Milénio Stadium: Last year cannabis was legalized in Canada and very soon we will have the edibles on the market. The car insurance will have to increase?

Fernando Rio: Probably not immediately, but if the number of claims increase, I am certain that will happen. Insurance companies don’t need a lot of excuses to increase rates.

Milénio Stadium: Four months after the Liberal government passed legislation to provide free, fast pot pardons, just 118 people have had their records cleared. It’s a low number?

Fernando Rio: My personal opinion, I don’t think that the pardon should be granted at all, unless there is a strict process in place to make sure serious offenders are not included. The fact is that the drugs that are legal now, were illegal at the time the offences were committed, therefore people knowingly broke the law, and there should be consequences for that.

Joana Leal/MS