Any road at any time can quickly become a crime scene. In 2015, Saskatchewan had nearly 1200 impaired driving collisions resulting in 53 fatalities and police are now relying, more than ever, on other drivers to report a suspected drunk driver on the road.
“Impaired driving is the number one traffic safety concern in Saskatchewan, it is responsible for more traffic fatalities than any other factor,” SGI’s Tyler McMurchy said.
“It is 100 per cent preventable so anything we can do to bring our numbers down is very important.”
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Since 2011, law enforcement province-wide has turned to the public to report impaired drivers (RID) through the road safety program – where a simple phone call to 911 could save a life.
“It was on a highway and it was super dangerous driving, I had three kids in my car and I thought this guy is going to kill somebody,” one Saskatoon resident told Global News. The impaired driver in her case was not only charged – they pleaded guilty to impaired driving later in court.
In 2016, 7,337 calls were made to 911 to report impaired drivers in this province. While McMurchy said there are no complete stats on just how many of those calls led to charges – the number is somewhere in the hundreds.
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“Impaired driving is a significant problem in Saskatchewan, we all have a role to play in bringing our numbers down.”
In June, 376 charges were laid against drunk drivers in the province. In 2015, not only did Saskatchewan have the highest rate of impaired driving in the country – our rates had declined the least of all provinces since 1986.
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“It’s clear the devastating results when someone loses a loved one from impaired driving. It’s a hole that will never ever be filled,” McMurchy said.
The more information provided about a suspected intoxicated driver, the better – including their licence plate number.
Here is the information police are looking for when you call 911:
- location of the incident, including directions and/or landmarks if required;
- details of incident, including exact details of driving patterns;
- vehicle description, mode of transportation and direction of travel;
- number of occupants in vehicle of interest;
- any details about the driver of the vehicle: name, DOB/age(s), physical and/or clothing description;
- are drugs or alcohol potentially involved?;
- complainant’s relationship to the incident (i.e. witness, victim);
- when did this occur? When did you see this vehicle/individual; and
- how much time has elapsed from the time the incident took place to the time it was reported?
Drivers are also reminded to pull over safely on the side of the road before dialing, or have a passenger file the report with 911.
In the event they aren’t caught, a RID follow-up letter will then be sent to their home in the hopes of scaring them straight. McMurchy said police will also have the incident on their record the next time that driver is pulled over.
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