YORKTON — Impaired driving is once again on the rise in Saskatchewan after years of gradual declines, a trend RCMP say is contributing to a troubling number of serious and fatal collisions.
Sgt. Grant St. Germaine said alcohol remains a significant factor in many fatal crashes across the province.
"Forty-three per cent of our fatal crashes this year had alcohol as a contributing factor," he said.
The statistic comes as police continue to encounter large numbers of impaired drivers during enforcement initiatives.
During the August long weekend, RCMP conducted eight check stops in the Lumsden area and laid numerous impaired driving charges.
"They ended up with 19 impaired drivers," St. Germaine said.
In addition to the Criminal Code charges, officers issued about 30 administrative suspensions related to either alcohol or drug impairment.
"With the 19 Criminal Code charges and 30 administrative suspensions for either alcohol or drugs, in effect we took almost 50 impaired drivers off the road this long weekend, just in the Lumsden area," he said.
St. Germaine said the numbers reflect a growing concern for police.
"Eight or 10 years ago, we saw a bit of a reduction every year in the number of impaired drivers," he said. "In the last two years, that number has shot back up."
While alcohol remains a major contributor to collisions, St. Germaine said drug-impaired driving is becoming increasingly common.
Asked about the breakdown of recent impaired-driving cases, he said drug impairment accounted for most of the incidents police dealt with.
"We had 17 or 18 drugs and a lesser number of alcohol," he said.
Despite increasingly severe penalties for impaired driving, St. Germaine is not convinced harsher punishments alone will solve the problem.
"I honestly don't know," he said when asked whether stricter penalties would act as a deterrent.
"People need to make smart decisions. When you're thinking it's not going to happen to me, a bigger fine or a longer licence suspension just doesn't seem to be working."
RCMP have not identified any specific age group as being responsible for the increase. St. Germaine said available data has not shown one demographic standing out over another.
He also cautioned against attributing the rise solely to cannabis legalization, noting police now have better tools to detect and investigate drug impairment than they did in the past.
St. Germaine said impaired driving remains one of the most persistent public-safety issues facing Saskatchewan communities and continues to be entirely preventable.
Police are urging motorists to arrange a designated driver, call a taxi, use a ride-share service or stay overnight rather than risk getting behind the wheel while impaired.
"It would sure be nice to see a reduction," St. Germaine said.
