In 2016, Halifax District RCMP and Halifax Regional Police – Partners in Policing – charged 645 drivers with impaired related offences. Of the 645 drivers, 599 were charged with Impaired Driving by Alcohol and 46 were charged with Impaired Driving by Drugs.
The legal limit in Canada to operate a motor vehicle is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliltres of blood. Throughout 2016:
- · 187 drivers were more than two times the legal limit
- · 36 drivers were more than three times the legal limit
- · 7 drivers were more than four times the legal limit
In 2016, 374 concerned citizens called 911 which resulted in 241 drivers being charged with impaired driving. Your Partners in Policing thank citizens for calling in suspected impaired drivers throughout the year.
"Drivers continue to put themselves and other motorists at risk by driving while impaired" says Cst. Dianne Penfound, Halifax Regional Police. "There is no excuse for making this choice".
We encourage citizens to continue to call 911 immediately if you suspect someone is driving while impaired. Here are some signs of an impaired driver:
• Driving unreasonably fast, slow or at an inconsistent speed
• Drifting in and out of lanes
• Tailgating and changing lanes frequently
• Making exceptionally wide turns
• Changing lanes or passing without sufficient clearance
• Overshooting or stopping well before stop signs or stop lights
• Disregarding signals and lights
• Approaching signals or leaving intersections too quickly or slowly
• Driving without headlights, failing to lower high beams or leaving turn signals on
• Driving with windows open in cold or inclement weather
"Everyone has a responsibility to keep our roads safe" says Cpl. Dal Hutchinson, Halifax District RCMP. "Calling 911 about a possible impaired driver could save someone's life".
If you observe a potential impaired driver and call 911 please state your location and provide as much detail as possible such as a description of the vehicle, including the license plate number, color, make and model, the direction of travel for the vehicle and a description of the driver.