Queens RCMP plan daily checkpoints to catch impaired drivers

Queens District RCMPsay they plan to step up patrols, as impaired driving continues to be a problem on the Island.

Since June 1, police say they have attended about eight serious accidents on P.E.I. in which they either believe alcohol played a role or was confirmed to have played a role. That includes four recent fatalities in two collisions.

"If you looked year over year, the numbers of impaired drivers so far in 2020 is essentially on par with last year may even be a little bit higher," said RCMP Cpl. Shaun Coady, a supervisor at the Maypoint RCMP detachment in Charlottetown.

"But what is alarming is that we haven't seen the visitors from out of province ... so what we're dealing with is local people, local Islanders that are involved in these instances of impaired driving."

RCMP now plan to step up enforcement, and in Queens District will have at least one checkpoint every day this summer, Coady said. They want the public to know they are checking for impaired drivers.

'Extremely intoxicated'

In the past 50 days, Coady said police have charged 29 people with impaired driving or refusing to provide a sample, and another three cases are pending lab results. They have also suspended the driver's licences of 20 people for seven days for exceeding the provincial alcohol or drug limit.

"It is certainly very prevalent and we are seeing a high frequency of impaired drivers on our roads," Coady said. "It's happening on an almost daily basis."

Coady said often people believe they are OK to drive after a couple of drinks, when they are not. Others have a chronic alcohol dependency and are well over the legal limit.

One driver recently "blew 290," he said, which is three-and-a-half times the legal limit in Canada for blood alcohol.

"That is an extremely high blood-alcohol content ... that is extremely intoxicated."

He said when someone has that much alcohol in their body, it is RCMP policy to take them to hospital.

Coady urged anyone who sees a driver they believe is impaired, to call police.

"Don't push the limits. If you've gone out with friends or family and you've had a couple of drinks, don't drive," he added.

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