The RCMP in Newfoundland and Labrador says impaired driving a remains a serious issue in the province and a priority for the police, this after a rash of cases over the holidays.
From Dec. 23-28, the RCMP nabbed six impaired drivers, including one driver who pulled out and passed a police vehicle, and another driver who tested three times the legal limit at noon, police said.
“Our traffic services units and detachments regularly deal with drivers impaired by alcohol and/or drug,” a Newfoundland and Labrador RCMP spokesperson told SaltWire Network in a written statement. “Impairment results in loss of reaction times and poor judgment, which can be a deadly combination.”
The spokesperson said three fatal collisions in the province in 2020 involved impaired drivers, while another collision that falls into the category resulted in serious injury.
Effect of pandemic
To put that in a broader context, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) Canada CEO Andrew Murie says on the national, provincial and local levels there has been an upsurge in impaired driving during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We know that across Canada, in a number of different surveys and studies, cannabis and alcohol consumption is up between 20 and 25 per cent from pre-pandemic consumptions,” Murie said.
One of the consequences of an increase in consumption has been an increase in impaired driving.
Murie says the stress of living during a pandemic is a major contributing factor to the increase in cannabis and alcohol consumption across the country.
“People are saying it’s stress, trying to cope with everything,” he said. “That piece has been well-documented from numerous sources. People just are having difficulty coping with various aspects of the pandemic, and one of their ways of dealing with that is increased consumption.”
In the midst of the pandemic, Murie says MADD Canada has altered its messaging to acknowledge the stress of the pandemic, while reminding people how they put not only themselves at risk, but other people as well, when they drive while impaired.
Prevention
Murie says policies against impaired driving are stringent in Newfoundland and Labrador and across the country.
He notes a big change came in December 2018 when the Government of Canada introduced mandatory alcohol screening.
This policy gave police the ability to screen any lawfully stopped driver for a preliminary breath sample to test for alcohol without reasonable suspicion the driver has consumed alcohol.
But the pandemic has made those screenings more difficult, Murie says.
“It was going great and then COVID-19 hit and they stopped doing those types of screenings, especially initially during the pandemic, because they were worried COVID-19 spread through touch,” he said. “We’re hoping as the pandemic starts to end and people get vaccinated, the police will step up their use of the mandatory alcohol screening.”
He says this is the best deterrent against impaired driving.
The RCMP said its strategy to address impaired driving combines enforcement and education.
These efforts entail using checkpoints, nationally co-ordinated initiatives, routine patrols and public education projects with partners such as MADD, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corp.
The RCMP also routinely uses social media to educate and inform the public.
The RCMP spokesperson added that tips from the public often prove helpful in locating and arresting impaired drivers.
“The RCMP has great support from the public and encourages residents to continue to report suspected impaired drivers,” the spokesperson added. “Together, we must continue our efforts to eradicate impaired driving.”
Stephen Roberts is a reporter covering the west coast of Newfoundland.
