For the third straight year, more people are being charged with impaired driving in Huron County.
In 2021 there were 102 charges, up from 93 in 2020 — a 10 per cent increase, on top of a 35 per cent increase in 2019.
“I see these numbers and I’m frustrated,” says Matt Evans, project manager for OSAID [Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving] in Huron, Perth, Bruce and Grey counties.
“I’m frustrated because these numbers are 100 per cent preventable,” he says.
Of those charged, 81 per cent of those were men and 37 per cent were under the age of 30.
“Nine of our 102 drivers were teenagers, so that’s quite concerning,” says Huron OPP Const. Jamie Stanley.
Evans sees the rise in young drivers jumping behind the wheel while impaired as a direct result of the decline in OSAID chapters in the province over the past several decades.
“If you don’t keep the messaging there, they forget the message. Like if you stop teaching math, students are going to forget how to do math,” he says.
One third of the 102 impaired drivers charged were not from Huron County. The worst months for charges were November with 15, the best month was May, with only three impaired charges. Of the impaired charges, 23 per cent involved drug impairment.
“Any type of impairment, whether it’s through prescription drugs, street drugs or alcohol, impairment is impairment and it can have devastating effects,” says Stanley.
While Huron County saw a 10 per cent rise in impaired charges, the Western Region OPP, stretching from Windsor to Tobermory, saw only a two per cent rise in impaired charges.
There is some good news however, impaired charges have dropped 11 per cent this year, compared to the first two months of last year.
“It’s about enforcement, education and awareness. Unfortunately, we’re not getting the message out there to some people, so we’re going to continue to enforce. We’re going to continue to remind and educate. We hope that through these efforts, we can see those numbers decrease, at least in Huron County,” says Stanley.
Evans says OSAID is actively trying to reignite school chapters of its organizations and is asking schools to proclaim May 19, the eve of the May long weekend, as OSAID Day in May, to remind students to not drive drunk or high.
