10 drivers with twice the legal blood alcohol limit charged in May: Police

Halifax Regional Police (HRP) released impaired driving statistics for the month of May, where officers charged 39 drivers with related offences.

The force said in a post on X, 22 drivers were charged with impaired operation of a conveyance by alcohol, five with impaired by drugs and 12 were issued a driving suspensions while having consumed alcohol.

“Although we have not noted a specific recent decline or increase our officers are continuing to regularly encounter impaired drivers on our roadways and this alone is quite concerning,” John MacLeod, spokesperson for HRP, told CityNews.

Of the drivers who provided breath samples, officers detected a wide range of blood alcohol concentrations, however, 10 people were found having twice the legal limit.

Seven people refused a breath sample and were charged by police.

“Halifax like most other regions in the country is seeing an increase in drivers under the influence of drugs particularly cannabis,” MacLeod said.

HRP said the public calling to report suspected impaired driving helps officers track down offenders. Of the 39 charged in May, 21 were calls from the public.

Here’s some signs of an impaired driver according to police:

• 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