Impaired driving charges are up 50 percent this year compared to 2018.

From January 1, 2019 to April 11, 2019 members of Grey County Ontario Provincial Police and Bruce Peninsula OPP have charged 34 drivers with impaired driving offences. In 2018, with the same time frame, officers charged 23 drivers with the same offences. That is a 50 percent increase over the previous year.

Over the last week, officers charged 3 drivers for impaired driving offences.

On April 6, 2019 at 2:28 a.m. officers stopped a vehicle and arrested and charged the 21-year-old male driver, Ryan Alexander of South Bruce Peninsula with operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol and operation motor vehicle with blood/alcohol concentration over 80 milligrams.

On April 7, 2019 officers were conducting a Reducing Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) program at 6 & 21 Hwy east of Springmount. At 2:39 a.m. a vehicle was stopped and the driver was subsequently arrested and charged with an impaired driving offence. A 22-year-old male, Kurtis JOHNSTON of Georgian Bluffs has been charged with operation motor vehicle with blood/alcohol concentration over 80 milligrams.

The latest occurrence of impaired driving offences occurred last night, April 10, 2019 at 10:53 p.m. officers were called to a motor vehicle collision involving injuries at Alvanley roundabout at Highway 21 and Grey Road 10, South Bruce Peninsula.

The driver of the pick-up truck, a 28-year-old male, Johnathan Cruickshank of Georgian Bluffs was arrested and charged with operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol, operation motor vehicle with blood/alcohol concentration over 80 milligrams and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

All accused have upcoming court dates at Ontario Court of Justice in Owen Sound.

"The increase of impaired driving offences is concerning and troubling. The responsibility that a driver has when operating a motor vehicle on Ontario highways is significant. The Ontario Provincial Police are committed to safety on the highways and our pursuit of those who choose to jeopardise that safety is unwavering. We will continue to actively educate the public as a whole on the life changing consequences of impaired driving and we will enforce the full measure of the law on those who choose that path," says Inspector Martin Murray, Grey County Detachment

source: media release, OPP