Local law enforcement officers will be out in full force this weekend taking drunk drivers off the streets as part of the annual checkstop season.
“We will be conducting checkstops where we will have members set up with pylons and cars and we will be screening all vehicles that come down the road for alcohol impairment,” said Const. Kevin Nicholls with St. Albert RCMP Traffic Services.
The campaign will run through December, wrapping up after New Year’s celebrations. Although most checkstops will he held on weekends, Nicholls cautioned they could be held any day at any time.
Last year, the St. Albert RCMP took one impaired driver off the street and handed out seven 24-hour suspensions late in the month. In 2010, the detachment recorded three impaired driving charges during the holiday season.
In addition to nabbing drivers with a blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit of 0.08, officers can also impose immediate roadside sanctions for drivers with a concentration between 0.05 and 0.08.
Legislation kicked in Sept. 1 to slap drivers in this range with an immediate three-day licence suspension and a three-day vehicle seizure. Last season, officers could only hand out 24-our suspensions to drivers in this range.
Nicholls said it is not yet clear if the legislation will translate to an increased number of suspensions.
“I think as the public becomes aware of (the legislation), I think that you’re going to find more people taking cabs and we’re hoping that there are less suspensions,” he said.
He said impaired driving in the community has dropped significantly in recent months, with a decrease in impaired driving charges and an increase in suspensions.
When the legislation first came into effect, St. Albert RCMP Traffic Services supervisor Cpl. Don Murray feared officers would be spread thin when an impaired driving call came in.
When drivers believed to be in the 0.05 or 0.08 range are requested to provide a breath sample, they are permitted to request a second sample be provided into an additional screening device. Officers are given the choice to either carry a second device with them in their police cruiser or call for back-up.
“I haven’t had anybody request for a second sample,” Nicholls said. “To get another member out is legitimately five or 10 minutes away so I typically just carry one, leaving other units available for other members.”
According to Alberta Transportation’s most recent statistics, the highest number of collisions in 2010 was reported in the five-day span between December 24 and 28. A total of 1,685 collisions were reported, 221 of which resulted in injuries with three deaths.
Roughly one in five drivers involved in fatality collisions are deemed to have consumed alcohol.
