“Enough is enough.”
In a media release on Friday, South Simcoe Police Chief Andrew Fletcher said it's time to change up the way they treat impaired drivers.
Impaired driving laws have undergone a major overhaul with the introduction of Bill C-46, which comes into effect December 18.
With the new law officers will be able to administer saliva testing for drugs, and will no longer need ‘reasonable suspicion’ to administer a roadside breath test.
According to police reports, the amount of motorists charged with impaired-related driving is on the rise year over year. During the South Simcoe Police 2016 RIDE program, 15 charges were laid against impaired drivers. That statistic jumped to 26 the following year, and so far in 2018 South Simcoe Police have charged 96 motorists with impaired-related offences.
In the media release, the chief said they need to change their approach by making also impaired driving socially unacceptable.
Throughout December, RIDE checks will be conducted day and night. And for the first time, motorists charged with impaired driving will have their name posted to the South Simcoe Police website.
As it stands now, only those who are charged in the most serious of situations have their names publically displayed online.
“We feel we have no choice but to take a tougher stand,” reads the release. “Lives are needlessly, carelessly, and selfishly being put at risk because of the bad decision of a few people.”
Impaired driving remains the number one criminal cause of death in Canada.
