Impaired driving charges increase 18 per cent on northeastern Ontario highways

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have arrested 629 drivers for impaired driving in northeastern Ontario so far this year, an increase of 18 per cent from last year last.

During the same period in 2023, from January 1 to October 31, there were 533 cases of impaired driving in the region.

Across Ontario, there were 5,685 cases of impaired driving during this period in 2023, compared to 5,858 this year – or an increase of 3 per cent.

“It’s very frustrating,” said OPP Const. Rob Lewis, community safety officer with the West Nipissing detachment.

“Not just for the police, but also for the general public, this is concerning (because) there are many alternative ways to prevent this.”

The Ontario Provincial Police launched its annual holiday deterrent campaign, known as Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE), on November 21, and it is scheduled to continue until January 1, 2025.

During the campaign, more Ontario Provincial Police officers will stop drivers on Ontario roads to check if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Lewis said drunk driving numbers tend to increase during the holiday season.

If people plan to drink or use drugs, he said they should consider other ways to get home, including public transportation or taxis, or spending the night where they are.

Const. Kyler Brouwer, community safety and media relations officer for the James Bay detachments of the Ontario Provincial Police, said police also rely on the public to help arrest impaired drivers .

“If they see a vehicle where they suspect the driver is impaired, they should call 911 and report it,” he said.

Brouwer added that for new drivers who do not have their full G license and for anyone aged 21 and under, there is zero tolerance for any level of drugs and alcohol.

“Any drug or alcohol detection results in an immediate traffic suspension,” he said.

Const. Berkley Parisien, community safety officer with the Manitoulin OPP detachment, said members of the public are now reporting more impaired drivers to police.

“Of the 110 impaired driving cases so far this year, 45 of them resulted from traffic complaints,” she said.

For comparison, Le Parisien reports that Manitoulin OPP officers have charged 11 people with impaired driving during the Festive RIDE campaign so far this year.

Insp. Jeff Warner of the North Bay Police Service said one change he has noticed in that city is a decrease in the number of alcohol-impaired drivers, but an increase in the number of impaired drivers by drugs.

He said that in the year 2023, North Bay police issued 53 charges for alcohol impairment and 23 for drug impairment.

“As of mid-October this year alone, we’ve only had 28 DUI cases, but we’re already at 26 because of drugs,” he said.

Warner said the North Bay Police Service has trained more officers in drug recognition, which could contribute to even higher numbers of impaired charges.