Manitoulin OPP report increase in impaired driving charges

Impaired driving stats trending the wrong way From Jan.1-Oct. 20, Ontario Provincial Police officers laid 95 impaired charges on Manitoulin Island, compared to 93 in all of 2023.

From Jan.1-Oct. 20, Ontario Provincial Police officers laid 95 impaired charges on Manitoulin Island, compared to 93 in all of 2023.

Officials said the reason behind the increase isn't entirely clear.

"I don't know if I can say necessarily that there (are) more impaired drivers out there than last year," said Const. Berkley Parisien, OPP community safety officer.

"I just think that we have gotten really good at educating the public. We've had more time to do proactive patrols and just get out there with our cars and deter the impaired driving. So I do think that that has helped."

But the number of cases is concerning, Parisien said, adding that "the more impaired drivers that we're getting off the roads, the safer people are."

With busy roadways Halloween night with trick-or-treaters, officials with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada) want to make sure that the night doesn’t end in tragedy.

"It's really frustrating because we've been repeating this message over and over again for decades, and it's obvious that there are people out there that still aren't taking it to heart," said Tanya Hansen Pratt, MADD Canada national president.

"You talk to your friends and family and everyone will say, oh yeah, impaired driving is terrible, on the surface. But it seems that when it's put into practical application, there are people out there that are just comfortable with getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol or cannabis or other drugs. And we need to remind them once again, that simply is unacceptable."

With the Festive RIDE season approaching, police remind motorists that no amount of alcohol or drugs is safe to consume when operating a motor vehicle.

Pairsien said the campaign will kick off Nov. 16 and runs until Jan. 1.

"You're going to see an increased police presence," she said.

"We're going to be doing RIDE whenever we have the chance and we really want to encourage people not to drink and drive. Plan ahead. Get a designated driver or a taxi. And if you do suspect that somebody is impaired driving, please call 911."

Statics show that impaired driving is the leading criminal cause of death and injury in Canada.