Drunk-driving stats show big P.E.I. increase

P.E.I. has one of the highest rates of drinking and driving in the country, a report from Statistics Canada released Thursday shows.

The report shows the rate of impaired driving incidents on P.E.I. rose 23 per cent from 2001 to 2011, with most of that increase coming since 2005. Over the same period, the rate of incidents in Canada fell two per cent.

At 493 incidents per 100,000 population, the rate of drunk driving on P.E.I. was almost double the national rate of 262 incidents per 100,000 in 2011.

Amongst the provinces, only Saskatchewan posted a higher drunk driving rate.