A shocking increase of impaired driving throughout Essex County.
A report was presented to the Essex County OPP Detachment Board - North on Tuesday morning with the August 2024 overview.
The report showed a 91 per cent increase in impaired driving offences in August 2024 compared to the same time last year.
Throughout Essex County, there were 21 impaired driving offences in August compared to 11 in August 2023.
Year-to-date, there has been a 16.6 per cent increase in impaired driving offences, with 140 recorded for 2024 compared to 120 in 2023.
Sherry Bondy, Essex mayor and member of the OPP Detachment Board, says she was shocked at the numbers.
"Usually we talk about drinking and driving around St. Patrick's Day, New Years, the Christmas holiday's, but we need to have more conversations - clearly. We need to make sure that our friends aren't drinking and driving, if we go out for socials and have dinner with friends, make sure someone is designated as a DD [designated driver]."
She says it's a scary stat to read knowing how accessible alcohol is now.
"You can get it now at your convenience stores. So, we need to also pair that with messaging about safe consumption. Drink when you are somewhere safe, don't get in a car, and you may think that you're fine to drive but chances are you're not. So, make that phone call whether it be to a cab, to a parent, to somebody safe."
She says it's important to talk about this topic.
"Talk to your kids, talk to your teens, and your 20-year-old's who are getting in cars with their friends - making sure that they're not getting in a car with somebody who is impaired."
Bondy says the report was received for information.
The Essex County OPP Detachment Board meetings were paused briefly - with their last meeting held in the spring - but Bondy says they will resume as normal with another scheduled in November.