Police are reporting higher than normal offences of impaired driving. (Photo 176646927 © Ilia Burdun | Dreamstime.com)

By Teena Monteleone

PAPS charge six impaired drivers in less than two weeks

Nov 20, 2020 | 3:30 PM

SGI is noticing higher than normal impaired driving charges reported by police in Saskatchewan in recent months and Prince Albert is no exception.

Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) spokesperson Charlene Tebbutt said six different impaired driving charges were laid by officers in less than two weeks, including some that were discovered during a Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) check stop last weekend.

“A message police continually put out to the public is ensuring they have a safe ride home, that they’re sober. Impaired driving puts themselves and other drivers at risk and certainly causes a lot of harm and fatalities that don’t need to happen,” Tebbutt said.

SGI spokesperson Tyler McMurchy said the province typically sees between 300 and 450 impaired driving offences each month and that number has been lingering on the higher end.

“When we see a higher than normal number of impaired driving offences reported by police, that tell us one thing – that police are very good at catching impaired drivers and they’re very focused on getting them,” McMurchy said.

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A report from the Crime Severity Index from Statistics Canada showed 2019 had the largest increase in the rate of police-reported impaired driving in over three decades – up 19 per cent.

The report attributed the increase to several contributing factors including greater legislative powers by police to conduct drug and alcohol screening tests and more police officers trained to detect impaired driving or an increased number of drug recognition experts leading to more confirmed instances of impairment.

Last year, Saskatchewan saw the lowest number of impaired driving fatalities in the province’s recorded history and while McMurchy acknowledged it’s a positive sign, he explained impaired driving is still the leading cause of all fatalities on Saskatchewan roads despite being completely preventable.

“We’re not under any illusions that impaired driving is a thing of the past in Saskatchewan, but we’re optimistic that the impaired driving problem is getting better,” McMurchy said.

Always a better choice

As the holiday season approaches, PAPS and SGI are reminding the public there is always a better choice than driving impaired.

Even with the coronavirus pandemic curbing safe ride options like Operation Red Nose, those who indulge in a few drinks or other impairing substances can choose from public transit, taxis, calling a sober friend or staying the night.

“We just really want to make sure people are keeping safety top of mind,” Tebbutt said. “If you are going to enjoy a few drinks, even in your small groups, plan a safe ride home.”

If you don’t, you could face some of the strictest administrative penalties for impaired driving in the country.

“A lot of people think the legal limit is .08, but it’s not. If you exceed .04, even as an experienced driver, you will get your vehicle impounded for three days and your licence suspended for three days on your first offence. The penalties escalate for new drivers and repeat offences,” McMurchy noted. “There is zero tolerance of drugs for all drivers.”

“You always have a better choice than driving impaired,” he said.

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teena.monteleone@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @MonteleoneTeena