Two men were charged with impaired driving after two separate collisions in Oakville, yesterday.
The first occurred near Hospital Gate and Dundas Street West. Halton police responded to the collision and investigated. The 32-year-old male driver, an off-duty York Region Police (YRP) officer, had a blood concentration level of 80mgs or higher, within two hours of consuming alcohol. He was charged.
The officer joined YRP in 2018 and worked in the criminal investigations bureau. He is a detective constable.
YRP Chief Jim MacSween said, “York Regional Police takes a firm stance against impaired driving. The alleged actions of this officer do not reflect the values of our organization or the professionalism demonstrated by our members each and every day.”
“This is very disappointing” - Chief Jim MacSween
The second one was a single vehicle collision near Dundas Street West and Colonel William Parkway. Halton police conducted an investigation, which revealed that the 37-year-old driver had a blood alcohol concentration 80mgs or more, within two hours of consuming alcohol. He was also charged.
Driving while impaired remains the most prominent contributing factor to serious collisions in Canada.
Although collisions lead to the discovery of impaired drivers, on average, one-third of impaired driving charges laid are the result of members of the public calling police after observing suspected impaired driving.
Law enforcement cannot be everywhere at all times and, so, rely on residents to notify them. If you have reason to believe a fellow motorist is driving impaired, pull over safely and call 9-1-1.
Here are some signs of an impaired driver:
- Driving unreasonably fast, slow or at an inconsistent speed
- Drifting in and out of lanes
- Tailgating and changing lanes frequently
- Making exceptionally wide turns
- Changing lanes or passing without sufficient clearance
- Overshooting or stopping well before stop signs or stop lights
- Disregarding signals and lights
- Approaching signals or leaving intersections too quickly or slowly
- Driving without headlights, failing to lower high beams or leaving turn signals on
- Driving with windows open in cold or inclement weather
On average, one-third of impaired driving charges laid are the result of members of the public calling police after observing suspected impaired driving. If you have reason to believe a fellow motorist is driving impaired, pull over safely and call 9-1-1.
If you wish to report speeding or have a driving complaint, you can submit a Road Watch report.