Impaired driving not like it used to be, says Tignish mayor — but arrests are still up on P.E.I.
Mayor and MLA offering safe drives home New Year's Eve, with police out in full force
Tignish Mayor Allan McInnis says people in his community have "smartened up" when it comes to impaired driving.
But he admits that he himself is among the people who weren't always that responsible.
"I remember whenever I was younger, we'll say, on Friday, Saturday night, you know, there'd be 75 per cent of the people in the area would be having a few drinks and driving at the same time ... There's no doubt I was guilty of the fact. But now that I'm older and a bit wiser and more educated, like, I would never drink and drive."
McInnis, who said he's been sober for about 20 years, said he's noticed a difference in driver habits in his town.
"I think with the education from the RCMP and different organizations, people have, you know, smartened up and are more educated to the fact that they shouldn't drink and drive."
McInnis feels so strongly about it that he now offers drives to West Prince people who have had too much to drink on New Year's Eve.
It's a service the local MLA, Hal Perry, has also been offering since he was first elected in 2011.
"I'm kind of known as the MLA who drives the drunks home… I hate to say that, but that's what people will come to me and say to me," Perry said Monday, with another New Year's Eve looming.
"But it's not. I'm giving people an option, especially in rural Prince Edward Island, so that they can go out and drink responsibly and know that they're going to get home safely and our roads are a little bit safer."
We will be out there and there's a strong likelihood of getting caught.— RCMP Spl. Gavin Moore
The first year he made the offer, Perry said he drove about 100 people home and didn't get back to his own house until about 6 a.m.
Last year, he drove about 30 people and was home much earlier.
Perry is grateful to others across P.E.I. who provide the same service, he added.
Impaired driving arrests up
Perry believes people are becoming more responsible — choosing their own designated driver, or staying home with family and friends.
But Island statistics show that driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs is a problem that is not going away. There were 230 impaired driving arrests in RCMP jurisdiction on P.E.I. in 2023 and "we certainly will exceed that number" in 2024, said Cpl. Gavin Moore.
"There are a couple of factors that contribute to that," he said, mentioning more checkpoint operations by the force's traffic services section, made up of "dedicated professionals" chosen for the duty based on their skills in addressing road safety issues.
"As well, we do have tools that help in addressing [driving while] impaired by cannabis. This has definitely been a big contributor to stopping impaired drivers who've taken cannabis."
Moore said RCMP will be out in full force this New Year's Eve — with checkpoints in place.
"It's really to stop impaired drivers and to act as a reminder to the public that we're out there and please make the right decision and make sure that you plan a safe ride home," he said.
"We will be out there and there's a strong likelihood of getting caught."
With files from Julien Lecacheur