Time to buck drunk driving trend in P.E.I.

This week, March 17 to 23, is National Impaired Driving Prevention Week in Canada.

The timing lines up with one of the heaviest drinking days of the year – Saint Patrick’s Day on March 17 – as well as March break for many families across the country.

In Prince Edward Island, though, it can often feel like drinking then driving is a daily occurrence, no matter the time of year.

SOBERING STATISTICS

P.E.I. had the highest rate of impaired driving incidents among the provinces according to Statistics Canada’s study of police-reported crime statistics for 2022. While data for 2023 has not yet been released by Statistics Canada, preliminary numbers provided to Saltwire by P.E.I. RCMP show the same trend.

And those are just the drivers who are caught. “In terms of overall incidents, it's more of, you know, a question mark,” Eric Dumschat, with Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada, told Saltwire.

RCMP Const. Jamie Parsons with the provincial traffic unit agrees the actual rate of people who are drunk or high is likely much higher.

“When you talk about impaired driving, and how many of them, we’re probably just scratching the surface, to tell you the truth,” Parsons said.

IMPAIRED JUDGMENT

Hearing about incidents of impaired driving is frustrating. When those stories involve a tragedy, it’s horrifying. Why do so many people across Prince Edward Island choose to consume alcohol or other drugs and then get behind the wheel?

Certainly, there are some people who do not take the warnings seriously. They think a couple of drinks won’t reduce their ability to drive. Others claim, totally irrationally, that taking certain drugs actually improves their concentration and reflexes. This is not borne out by science, and education may help curb this mindset.

Other people are addicted to the substances they consume. They are focused on getting their next hit without considering how they will get home. The substances not only impair their ability to drive, they also mess with their judgment about the safety of doing so.

SOCIAL DRINKING

Then there is the cultural aspect.

Almost every celebration, family gathering and friendly get-together, musical entertainment venue and sporting event includes an element of drinking. It’s almost expected.

“No one really talks about those kind of things ... But yeah, it’s totally cultural. It’s weird if you don’t drink,” Ellen Taylor told Saltwire. Taylor, who has been sober for more than four years, courageously uses her own example when advocating for others facing addiction.

Stories like hers — as fraught with setbacks as it was — demonstrate recovery is possible.

SPECIAL COVERAGE

Other examples revealed in The Pulse special coverage by Charlottetown’s Saltwire newsroom offer further hope that P.E.I. could be on the cusp of change when it comes to impaired driving.

Long-time sports athletes and coaches say they see the culture changing among younger athletes. Local breweries say demand for low- or nonalcoholic drinks have changed the course of their businesses.

Post-secondary institutions are investing in safe consumption in a way they never have before. It seems like it is becoming less cool to get wasted then go for a drive.

Now it is up to the rest of us to reinforce this trend.