“This significant improvement shows that people are getting the message that driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is unacceptable in Prince Edward Island,” Minister Vessey said. “This is a direct result of tougher legislation and increased public awareness by government in recent years, as well as targeted enforcement activities by our police department partners.”

Just-released statistics show there were 297 total convictions for impaired driving in 2013, compared with 327 in 2012, 373 in 2011, and 424 in 2010. The largest improvement was in the number of first and second-time offenders, which has dropped gradually over the past three years.

In 1980, there were 1,570 drivers convicted of impaired driving in Prince Edward Island.

Combating impaired driving in our province has been a priority of government. In February 2013, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal organized the historic Impaired Driving Summit with the Department of Environment, Labour and Justice that brought together law enforcement, MADD Canada and its regional representatives, the Crown Prosecutor’s Office, and an ad-hoc committee on impaired driving. It inspired:

• legislation requiring an ignition interlock device be installed on the vehicles of first-time impaired-driving offenders for one year, and increasing its mandatory use to two years for second-time offenders and five years for third-time and subsequent offenders (with an additional year added if a passenger under age 16 was in the vehicle at the time of the offence);

• provisions taking away the vehicles of impaired-driving offenders for longer periods of time, such as a six-month impoundment for an offense causing bodily harm that previously carried an impoundment of 60 days;

• new sanctions aimed specifically at drug-impaired drivers, including a seven-day (non-graduated) driver licence suspension for failing or refusing the roadside physical coordination test, a 90-day suspension for all drivers charged under the Criminal Code of Canada, and a 90-day suspension for graduated drivers who refuse or fail the physical coordination test;

• an increase in the driver licence reinstatement fee to $500 from $200;

• an exploration of the use of a special licence plate number sequence to identify repeat impaired-driving offenders to police; and

• the extension of a “Call 9-1-1” campaign to encourage the public to pull over and report impaired drivers.

In September 2013, MADD Canada chose Minister Vessey to receive its Citizen of Distinction award for his work in organizing the Impaired Driving Summit. The award is presented annually to an individual, group, or organization that has contributed significantly to the anti-drinking and driving movement in Canada.

For impaired driving statistics and more information on impaired driving on Prince Edward Island, www.gov.pe.ca/impaireddriving .