Despite recent awareness and enforcement campaigns connected to the 2019 Festive RIDE season, an alarming number of motorists continue to drive while impaired.
The Thunder Bay Police Service laid 29 impaired driving charges in the 29 days of February. That’s an increase from 2019 when officers laid 14 impaired driving charges in 28 days.
Of the 29 impaired-driving charges, 11 were associated with impairment by drug. In 2019 only one of the 14 impaired driving charges was associated with a driver being impaired by drug.
Three of the drug impaired charges were linked to cannabis use.
Traffic Unit Cst. Mark Cattani says the increase in charges against drivers impaired by drug may partially be a result of the police service’s trained Drug Recognition Experts and increased training throughout the service.
“By more than doubling the Service’s number of Drug Recognition Experts, and providing ongoing training to front-line officers in the detection of drug-impaired drivers, the Thunder Bay Police Service has committed itself to combating this form of reckless driving behavior,” Cattani said.
“Further commitment to Standardized Field Sobriety Test training and developing detection technologies will ensure that those who continue to engage in impaired driving will be caught and brought to justice.”
Community Services Branch Insp. Derek West hopes the public will see these charges as a reminder that police are equipped to detect and measure impairment by drug.
“These drivers may have been on the road before, but now we’re in a better position to detect impairment by drug,” Insp. West said. “We hope the community becomes more aware of this, and as a result motorists who may have previously considered driving after consuming drugs or alcohol instead find a safe ride home.”
The number of impaired drivers charged by the Thunder Bay Police Service has risen steadily over the past five years, from an average of about 120 each year up to 204 in 2019.