Letter: August is Impaired Driving Awareness Month

submitted by Morinville RCMP

Some Impaired Driving Facts

Impaired driving and refusing to provide a breath sample are criminal offences.

When you drink and then drive, alcohol and drugs affect your judgment, reaction time and perception.

Only time will sober someone up.

Impairment can be the result of alcohol, illicit drugs, prescription drugs or even fatigue.

On average in Alberta, one in five drivers involved in fatal collisions have been drinking alcohol prior to the collision.

In 2014 A total of 3.3 per cent of drivers on Alberta roads involved in injury crashes were judged to have consumed alcohol prior to the crash, compared to 15.9% of drivers involved in fatal collisions.

As the severity of the collision increases, so does the likelihood that the collision involved an impaired driver.

The highest number of casualty collisions involving alcohol occur from May to October.

Every day, on average, four Canadians are killed and 175 are injured in impairment-related crashes.

If the police determine your ability to operate a vehicle has been impaired by alcohol or drugs, even if your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is below .08, you can be charged criminally with impaired driving.

With the summer months comes higher traffic volumes on the roads and a significant increase in the number of RV’s and motorcycles on the roads. Help keep Alberta roads safe for all users. If you encounter a suspected impaired driver, record the vehicle licence plate number and dial 911 anywhere in the province; all drivers are able to use hand-held devices to contact 911 emergency services.

The summer weekends also see an increase in social gatherings. The Alberta RCMP encourages families, friends, and hosts to be responsible in how they serve alcohol and to provide non-alcoholic options or transportation alternatives to their guests to ensure everyone arrives home safely.

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