Thunder Bay – Impaired driving continues to be an issue in our city. Thunder Bay Police report that “For a second week in a row, we are reporting double-digit arrests connected to impaired driving incidents”.
Last week TPBS officers arrested 10 people due to impaired driving, the week before that police made 11 arrests.
Police say, “Of the 10 incidents last week, seven occurred in evening or nighttime hours and three during daytime hours. Six motorists were impaired by drugs, four by alcohol. One incident involved a single motor-vehicle collision.”
Seriously? That many people still have to be arrested and charged in 2020 for impaired driving.
Forty years ago, the mainly male ego was that a real man could drive drunk. Surely today, we should be in a state of growth that the brain can overtake the ego?
There has been increasingly larger fines and penalties, and massive amounts of education, and yet we still see far too many cases of impaired driving.
Police are only reporting the individuals they caught. The reality is there are likely more impaired drivers out there on our roads risking their lives and the lives of innocent people.
One might think it is not impossible to make impaired driving a thing of the past. After all, with all the education and all the ongoing efforts by police, as well as massive fines, drivers licence suspensions, and gigantic insurance rate hikes, getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle after a few beverages should be the last thing on anyone’s mind.
With the Festive R.I.D.E. program starting, sadly however it is likely we will see more arrests for impaired driving.
Why is a question to ask, but maybe this year, people across the region can simply step up and say a resounding NO to impaired driving?
James Murray
