Throughout the month, police charged 44 people – 38 men and six women, ranging in age from 19 to 64 – with impaired driving.
Of these incidents, 20 were identified by police during their patrols, six of which came during ‘Operation Christmas’ checkpoints. Five were identified after a collision had occurred and 19, or 43%, were called-in by concerned citizens.
Officers issued an additional five 7-day suspensions to people having a blood alcohol level between 50-80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood (mg%).
Of the 44 cases, 42 involved drivers impaired by alcohol while two involved impairment by drugs. In one case, a woman was charged after she rear-ended a marked police car which was stopped at an intersection. No one was injured in the incident.
Driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs puts everyone in danger. In December 2009, MADD Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia launched Campaign 911 which encourages people to call police with information on suspected impaired drivers.
Halifax Regional Police continues to be encouraged by the number of citizens helping to play a role in community safety. If you have information on a drunk driver, please call 911.