Impaired driving charges up 18 per cent on northeastern Ontario highways
Jonathan Migneault | CBC News | Posted: November 28, 2024 10:00 AM | Last Updated: November 28
Ontario Provincial Police launched their annual Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) campaign on Nov. 21
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have stopped 629 drivers for impaired driving in northeastern Ontario so far this year, which is an 18 per cent increase from last year.
During the same period in 2023, from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, there were 533 impaired driving occurrences in the region.
Across Ontario, there were 5,685 impaired driving occurrences during that period in 2023, compared to 5,858 this year – or a three per cent increase.
"It's very frustrating," said OPP Const. Rob Lewis, the community safety officer for the Nipissing West detachment.
"Not just for the police, but for the general public it's concerning [because] there are so many alternative means to prevent it."
The OPP started its annual festive season deterrence campaign known as Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) on Nov. 21, and it's due to continue until Jan. 1, 2025.
During the campaign, the OPP will have more officers stopping drivers along Ontario highways to check if they're under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Lewis said impaired driving numbers tend to spike during the holiday season.
If people plan to drink or consume drugs, he said they should consider alternative ways to get home, including public transit or taxis, or stay the night wherever they happen to be.
Const. Kyler Brouwer, a community safety and media relations officer for the OPP's James Bay detachments, said police also rely on the public to help stop impaired drivers.
"If they see a vehicle that they suspect the driver might be impaired, they should call 911 and to report it," he said.
Brouwer added that for new drivers who don't have their full G licence, and anyone aged 21 and younger, there is zero tolerance for any level of drugs and alcohol.
"Any detection of drugs or alcohol gets immediate roadside suspension," he said.
Const. Berkley Parisien, a community safety officer with the Manitoulin OPP detachment, said members of the public are reporting more impaired drivers to police now.
"Out of the 110 impaired cases so far this year, 45 of them were as a result of traffic complaints," she said.
By comparison, Parisien said Manitoulin OPP officers have charged 11 people with impaired driving during the Festive RIDE campaign so far this year.
Insp. Jeff Warner, with the North Bay Police Service, said a change he's noticed in that city has been a decline in drivers impaired by alcohol, but an increase in drivers impaired by drugs.
He said In all of 2023, the North Bay police issued 53 charges for alcohol impairment and 23 for drug impairment.
"As of the middle of October this year alone, we've only had 28 impaired by alcohol, but we're already at 26 impaired by drugs," he said.
Warner said the North Bay Police Service has trained more officers for drug recognition, which could contribute to even more charges for impairment.