2016 one of worst years for impaired driving deaths in York Region: police
Posted January 5, 2017 1:19 pm.
Last Updated January 5, 2017 1:26 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Police in York Region say nine people died last year in impaired driving incidents, making 2016 one of the worst years for impaired-related fatalities in recent history.
They say more than 1,200 people were arrested for alleged impaired driving — 85 per cent were men, almost half of them between the ages of 22 and 34.
About half of the women charged were between the ages of 26 and 45.
Forty-three per cent of those charged had blood-alcohol concentrations between 1 1/2 and nearly three times the legal limit.
And police say two per cent had blood-alcohol concentrations that were considered medical emergencies.
They say the number of impaired by drug charges rose to 81, up 69 per cent from 2015. Drug-impaired drivers were found to be under the influence of marijuana, cocaine, ketamine, fentanyl and prescription medications.
“It’s alarming that prior to the pending legalization of marijuana we are seeing this spike of drivers impaired by drugs,” said Chief Eric Jolliffe, who called the numbers “incredibly disappointing.”
“It’s shocking that anyone feels they have the right to risk the lives of innocent people by drinking alcohol or using drugs and getting behind the wheel of a vehicle,” Jolliffe said Wednesday in a statement.
