MADD Yukon seeks tougher rules on drunk driving

Yukon`s chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, wants the territory to adopt tougher impaired driving laws that are already used in other provinces.

“Young people need to have no distractions,” says Amanda Price.

Price wants territorial laws that ban drinking altogether for new drivers and lower the legal blood alcohol rate for all drivers.

“They need to just be focused on driving and not to say older people don't, but the reduction to zero for people under 21 would be a huge first step and then .05 for everyone else.”

Yukon's impaired driving rate is the highest in the country and almost five times the national rate.

“I find it discouraging that we just can’t seem to win this battle,” says Corporal Shawn Pollard, the head of RCMP traffic services. “We struggle at it, we work hard at it and we're not going to give up. That is not going to happen, so we're just going to continue what we're doing.”

6 charged, 7 given 24-hour suspensions

Members of Yukon RCMP detachments took part in a national crackdown Friday night on drunk drivers.

Yukon's commanding officer Peter Clark says the order came from the RCMP's Commissioner Bob Paulson.

“The impaired driving issue is high on the profile for the RCMP and of course the Yukon government. The tragedy, the loss of life, and the impact to families and communities is just devastating.”

Police say with some detachments still to report, there are six drivers with impaired driving charges pending following the weekend crackdown.

Those include one man alleged to be driving under the influence of drugs.

Seven other drivers were given 24 hour driving suspensions.

MADD will be stepping up its lobbying campaign for new laws this fall.