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Christmas travelling

Northeast no exception to impaired driving risks over the holidays

Dec 17, 2021 | 5:08 PM

Christmas holidays and holiday gatherings are approaching and with them they bring a heightened risk of impaired driving.

This year alone, the northeast has had a fair amount of impaired driving investigations. From January to November 2021, there were over 260 impaired driving investigations in the Melfort, Nipawin and Tisdale areas with 70 of those resulting in charges.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Chad McLeod told northeastNOW when heading out on the highways, it is important to drive defensively.

“People that are travelling need to be aware that the vehicle they are meeting on the highway, there is no guarantee that person isn’t impaired,” McLeod said.

McLeod who grew up in the town of Nipawin has worked in traffic enforcement for 12 of his over 22 years as a police officer. Formerly, McLeod also served as a traffic reconstructionist and drug recognition expert.

“I have been to far too many scenes where people have been seriously injured and killed as a result of an incident involving an impaired driver,” McLeod said.

In his personal opinion, the message seems to be getting out that it is not socially acceptable for people to drink and drive.

“For the most part with the younger generation, we see them being a lot safer and I think that is progressive and positive for our world,” McLeod said. “We are still seeing far too many people taking the chance of consuming beverage alcohol or now the legal cannabis.”

The likelihood of having a more severe crash and people being severely injured or killed increases when under the influence of any kind of substance, McLeod said.

He said almost every holiday season whether Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, or the summer they see an increase in consumption of alcohol and other substances.

Anytime there is an increase in consumption there is naturally an increase in incidents.

“Any impaired driving incident is 100 per cent preventable, it’s the decision of the person that drives that is gambling,” McLeod said. “They are rolling the dice and don’t know how it is going to work out.”

There are plenty of options when it comes to getting home safely. Lining up a sober driver before indulging, calling a sober friend or family member, calling a cab, or simply walking.

“Growing up in Nipawin and being around Tisdale and Melfort, the communities aren’t too big that you couldn’t potentially walk home if you had to,” McLeod said.

The most important message McLeod wanted to get across is to make a commitment to getting home safe. He added that it is important to make sure the designated driver chosen is responsible. Charging a designated driver with impaired driving is not unheard of, according to McLeod.

“We know nobody wakes up in the morning and intentionally plans to kill someone by being an impaired driver but by getting behind the wheel and driving, you have made a bad choice and planned poorly,” McLeod said. “If you yourself are not injured or killed, you have to live with the choice you made and the pain and suffering that you have subjected others to.”

Celebrating and having fun is part of the Christmas season but with that comes the need to be responsible because you’re not only deciding for yourself but you’re making a decision for every other person on the road, McLeod said.

“I’m telling you; you go up to the scene of a collision through the Christmas season and people are dead, that families Christmases are all ruined for the rest of their lives,” McLeod said. “It’s horrible.”

The Saskatchewan RCMP encourages Reporting Impaired Drivers (RID) – pull over and call 911. Provide as many details as possible including location, direction of travel, vehicle description, behaviour and license plate number.

“Watch the driving behaviours of the vehicle that you are coming up behind or approaching on the highway,” McLeod said. “If you see someone that isn’t driving properly, report it, it gives us a half of a chance of catching them.”

Over the past five full calendar years, Nipawin RCMP averages 103 impaired driving investigations with approximately 27 resulting in charges each year. Melfort RCMP averages 112 impaired driving investigations with 30 resulting in charges while Tisdale RCMP averages 50 impaired driving investigations with approximately 16 of those resulting in charges each year.

“In Saskatchewan, we take traffic safety very seriously so please drive sober, arrive home safe and alive because one impaired driver is one too many,” McLeod said.

According to a release from Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI), last holiday season (Dec. 1, 2020- Jan. 3, 2021), three people were killed, and 44 people were injured as a result of impaired driving-related collisions in Saskatchewan.

angie.rolheiser@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser