People still drunk behind the wheel
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In the past two days there have been seven separate drinking and driving charges laid in Hamilton. And an eighth possible case is under investigation. There’s an increase in impaired driving charges in the city over last year — but it may not necessarily mean more people are getting behind the wheel drunk.
Three people were sent to hospital when the driver of a pickup lost control and struck a tree on Mayfair Crescent near McMaster University. 19-year-old James Dickson was in the front seat. He says the driver took a corner a bit too fast: “I was lucky enough the seatbelt and the airbag both worked the way they were supposed to. I made it out and was able to call 911. But nobody else in the car would have been able to do it.”
The other men in the car — an 18 and a 22 year old –suffered serious injuries, but they’re expected to survive. Hamilton police say they’re looking into whether alcohol played a role in the crash. Dickson says the driver didn’t seem impaired. “I hadn’t seen him drinking, but at the same time I didn’t think to ask him if he had been. So that responsibility is kind of on me.”
The reminders are everywhere. But people are still getting behind the wheel after they drink. Over the past couple of days, Hamilton police charged seven different drivers across the city for getting behind the wheel impaired.
Sgt. Doug Jonovich says there is about a 4 percent increase year-to-date over 2013: “We had four on Monday. On Monday mornings, that unprecedented anyway.” “It may be because we’re doing increasing enforcement. More citizens are calling in. We have Operation Lookout where citizens can call in suspected drunk drivers.
In about four of the most recent cases, police say they were tipped off by the public. If you’re driving, you can call police if you think you see another driver drunk behind the wheel — but it’s best to wait until it’s safe to do so — and pull over if you can.
Last week, Niagara regional police criminally charged 11 people for drinking and driving. The age range of the 7 most recent cases in Hamilton is 22 to 52 years old. Jonovich says there has been a small spike in the number of female drunk drivers, although there is no specific demographic that’s doing it . As always, the best way to stay safe. If you’ve had anything to drink, call a friend, a taxi, take public transit. But don’t get behind the wheel.
