Peel police concerned about impaired driving during daylight hours

In early July, Peel police noticed the start of what they consider an alarming trend — arrests for impaired driving while it's still light out.

"We were seeing an arrest a day basically, with regard to impaired driving, between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.," Sgt. Josh Colley, spokesperson for Peel Regional Police, told Metro Morning on Wednesday.

Over the course of last month, officers went on to charge 27 people with impaired driving in traffic stops that took place while the sun was up.

"What's scary is that it's during the day," Colley said.

"Most people think of an impaired driving charge happening in the early hours, after going to a bar or party, but to see that we're averaging one impaired driving arrest a day in our region alone, I mean, that's scary stuff.

"You have the Pokemon craze where kids are out there, enjoying their summer, and all of a sudden you've got people driving impaired."

In Toronto, arrests for impaired driving typically take place at night, but aren't uncommon during the daytime, said Const. Clint Stibbe, of Toronto police's traffic services division.

"Usually we see a spike in the evenings, anything after 10 at night, and later in the week, but that doesn't mean we don't get them other times," he said.

'I didn't realize what time it was,' drivers say

During the month of July, Toronto police suspended 87 licences for impaired driving. Of those suspensions, 25 occurred between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Colley said Peel police will continue to monitor arrests to see if the trend in the region continues throughout August. But even if it doesn't, it's a cause of frustration.

"The response has been the same. 'I didn't realize what time it was, I didn't have that much to drink.' And unfortunately, when we're looking at the level of intoxication, they're quite high," he said.

"We've had a few arrests where people have been three and four times over the legal limit."