More than 10,000 impaired driving charges laid in Ontario this year: OPP

An Ontario Provincial Police vehicle is pictured. (Source: OPP)

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) saw nearly 400 people die in motor vehicle accidents this year – nearing a number unseen since 2004.

In a video shared to X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday, OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt detailed impaired driving statistics for the province, noting OPP laid more than 10,000 impaired driving charges and saw a 16 per cent increase in impaired driving occurrences this year compared to 2022. He adds officers have seen a 10 per cent increase in impaired driving collisions too.

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In 2023, 49 people died from alcohol or drug-related crashes and nearly 400 people died in motor vehicle collisions in Ontario.

“That is far higher than the 319 we saw last year, and we have not seen a 400-road fatalities since 2004,” Schmidt said. “With a few days remaining, I don’t want to break that 400 number.”

Throughout OPP’s Festive Ride campaign, which has been going on over the last seven weeks, officers have laid over 1,200 alone.

“Please be a better driver,” Schmidt said. “It may not be icy or snowy where we are here in the GTA, with plus-temperatures, and rain and wet roads. But, please, drive to the conditions, slow down, keep your headlights on, please. Let’s get through to New Year’s without another single fatality.”