Social Sciences Research Paper: Victims of Impaired Driving

VICTIMS OF IMPAIRED DRIVING
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Impaired driving is a federal criminal offense under Canadian law. The federal criminal code sets out impaired driving offenses, enforcement procedures and penalties but enforcement, apprehension, prosecution and application of penalties fall within provincial and territorial authority who have ability to enact additional laws and sanctions. Conviction under federal laws can result to fines, driving prohibitions (suspension of driving license) and jail time. If impaired driving causes death, the driver can receive a maximum of life imprisonment. In Ontario, a first-time offense has the following consequences: minimum of $1000, 1-year license suspension, criminal record, 90-day roadside suspension, monetary penalties, ignition interlock, education program and 7-day vehicle impoundment.
Impaired driving is costly. It cuts many lives short and leaves a void in the lives of the relatives and friends of the victims. In one case, a drunk driver, Marco Ruzzo cut short the lives of three children and their grandfather in Vaughan Ontario. In one instance, the Neville family lost a nine-year-old, a five-year-old, a two-year-old and their 65-year-old grandfather. It is unimaginable loss and many years later, Neville is bitter and deeply hurt by their loss. Jeniffer Neville and her husband still publish posts on their social media posts detailing their bitterness though nearly five years have lapsed (CBC News, 2019, para 16). The passage of time has not made their loss any less bearable and they continue to advocate for stricter measures to make sure not one more life is lost to drunk driving.
On June 11, 2015, a 44-year-old Zhi Yong Kang was riding his bicycle on Finch Avenue West approaching Tobermory Drive when he was struck and killed (McDonald & Rodrigues, 2020, para 8). The driver, Darya Selinevich was driving at 110km/h in a stretch of road whose speed limit is 60km/h. She also refused to provide a breath sample which would have confirmed she was drunk when she caused the accident. A month earlier, Selinevich had pleaded guilty to drunk driving and though she received a $1200 fine and a 1-year license suspension, she was behind the wheel. Selinevich has had other violations including running a red light and two incidences of speeding. Months after killing Zhi Yong, Selinevich was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison though she was released on full parole in October 2018 -- just three years and four months. In June 2020, barely two years after her release from prison, Selinevich was caught for drunk driving on Highway 400 between Barrie and Toronto when concerned citizens called 911 and reported her dangerous driving. At least this time, she was stopped before anything ugly happened.
Selinevich’s case highlights the gaps in addressing impaired driving. First, suspects of drunk driving can refuse to take a breath sample which only attracts a $2000 fine. She opted to use law to her advantage by refusing to take a breath sample after killing Mr. Yong. Secondly, Selivenich was a repeat offender who had been caught driving under the influence of alcohol and had had several speeding tickets. When she was fined $1200 for drunk driving and...