The numbers are in and it looks like people are getting the message about the dangers of driving impaired as the number of people who were injured or killed in impaired driving collisions decreased 40%. 

"This is the lowest number of fatalities due to impaired driving," Minister in Charge of SGI, Joe Hargrave explained, "since the records were kept in 1988."

"Year after year, 2017 over 2016 makes us very happy that the legislation that we brought forward, the additional awareness campaigns that we started, the additional police officers we're paying for and the additional enforcement that we're paying for because we're also contributing to payments for when they're going out to do check-stops, we cover them off for their overtime, so we're seeing that really impacting. People are really starting to listen."

Photo courtesy of SGI

"You've seen the ad, "People Shouldn't Disappear.' Well, they're real people and I feel that that was one key, you could feel the change in people's attitudes."

"I feel the attitude is starting to change, I'm very optimistic but it's not a one-year thing."

He added that he has seen people planning rides home before going to events to make sure that they have safe rides home.

Hargrave also added that the introduction of ride-sharing programs may also add to the number of impaired driving deaths and injuries decreasing in the future. 

2012: 756 injuries, 72 deaths
2013: 613 injuries, 43 deaths
2014: 560 injuries, 60 deaths
2015: 586 injuries, 54 deaths
2016: 464 injuries, 57 deaths
2017: 340 injuries, 39 deaths