A new study put on by UNBC’s Northern Medical Program has found that drivers who have just hit the legal drinking age had a significant increase in crashes than those under.
Doctor Russ Callaghan looked at stats in Quebec from 2000 to 2012 and found that compared to those just below the drinking age, there was an 11% increase for drivers at the minimum drinking age.
“The people are so close in age, they’re only separated by about a week, before and after the legal minimum drinking age, that we can infer it was the effect of release from the restrictions of the minimum legal drinking age, for sure,” he says.
Callaghan says the number of crashes would be reduced across Canada if the minimum drinking age was raised to 19 or even 21.
“The other thing is, is that if that particular raising of the legal minimum drinking age doesn’t occur, we can probably do other things,” he says. “Like change other pieces of legislation concerning zero blood alcohol content for young drivers, so we won’t have any young drivers driving with any kind of alcohol content in their blood.”
Callaghan admits the study is not going to be popular with some people.
“You have people saying ‘Well, people can join the army, and people can do other kinds of things, but they can’t have a drink’,” he says. “It’s probably one of the most controversial age-based alcohol restrictions that we’ve got, one of the most controversial alcohol-restriction policies we have. Obviously there’s going to be some debate and I welcome that.”
Callaghan chose Quebec to study because of their younger drinking age at 18 and the province was more receptive to being studied.
(Photo credit: UNBC)
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
