Impaired driving convictions jump for P.E.I. youth

P.E.I. has seen a big jump in impaired driving convictions of Island youth in the past five years. Officials don't know why but they are concerned about the number of young drivers making the choice to get behind the wheel when they're impaired.

In 2013 there were 10 impaired convictions on P.E.I. for those under 25. So far this year there have been 47, with three months left in 2018.

That's in contrast to what officials are seeing with drivers 25 and over. In 2013 there were 187 convictions for that age group. So far this year there have been 144 convictions.

"Well we've never had numbers this high," said Graham Miner, P.E.I.'s director of highway safety.

"We've noticed an up-tick in that age group even though at the same time we have a continuous downward movement in the total numbers of impaired drivers being convicted." 

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"There seems to be an epidemic before the courts," commented Provincial Court Judge Nancy Orr last week on the number of young people charged with impaired driving in her courtroom that day.

"We've had more 18- or 19-year-olds coming before the court for impaired driving of motor vehicles than in the last 10 years," she said.

But Miner said his staff will continue to monitor the trend and look for ways to bring those numbers down.

"This is a little change in direction right now to say …​'Where did we lose the messaging here,' or is this an aberration at this moment," said Miner.

'That's a high number'

In Charlottetown, the deputy police chief says it's "concerning" to see the number of young people deciding to head out on the road when they're impaired. And that concern is elevated, said Brad MacConnell, with cannabis becoming legal later this month.

So far this year, 26 per cent of impaired driving charges in the Island's capital city have been young drivers. "That's a high number," he said.

"We really need to reflect and see what we need to do as a police service, as a policing community and the community in general to change the behaviours of young drivers."

Officials say that enforcement is important, but prevention is a more effective way to deal with the problem.

That could mean finding more ways to send the message home that drivers shouldn't get behind the wheel if they've been drinking or taking drugs. 

Miner said despite the efforts police and government have in place now, there are still those who aren't being reached.

"It's all part of the drivers ed programs, it's part of the novice drivers courses, which are mandatory for those not taking drivers ed, so it's well known," he said. 

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