Impaired driving remains high across province
Despite public education campaigns and a focus on remembering and honouring the victims and survivors of impaired driving, the number of those charged with impaired driving continues to remain high.
Last year, 1,398 drivers were charged with impaired-related offences.
“Public education and awareness campaigns have been ongoing for many years, and still almost 1400 people were caught committing impaired driving offences in 2024,” Constable Bryan Martell, with the RCMP’s Southeast Traffic Services, said in a press release. “I encourage everyone to visit MADD Canada’s memorial and tribute website (Tributes – MADD Canada Tributes) to look at the pictures and read the stories. It is a sobering reminder that these are family members, friends, coworkers – real people whose lives were cut short or otherwise affected by someone’s choice to drive impaired.”
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Nova Scotia RCMP provided a breakdown of the charges:
- 695 charged with Impaired Operation of a Conveyance by Alcohol;
- 40 charged with Impaired Operation of a Conveyance by Drug (18 more awaiting lab results);
- 166 charged with Refusal of a Demand Made by a Peace Officer; and
- 479 issued driving suspensions for Impaired Operation.
The RCMP is reminding everyone that road safety is a shared responsibility. Anyone can and should call 911 if they suspect a driver could be impaired. Signs of an impaired driver include:
- driving fast, slow or inconsistently;
- drifting in and out of lanes;
- making exceptionally wide turns;
- overshooting or stopping well before traffic signs;
- disregarding signals and lights;
- driving without headlights or leaving turn signals on;
- driving with windows down in cold or inclement weather.
When reporting a suspected impaired driver, provide as much detail as possible including the location, a description of the vehicle, the direction of travel, and, if possible, a description of the driver.
