The second week of the RCMP Christmas Checkstop program from December 8, 2008 to December 15, 2008 has resulted in numerous charges.
• 4409 vehicles being checked across the Province of Manitoba during 117 checkstops/roving patrols. Of those vehicles checked, 25 people were charged with either Impaired Driving or Drive Over .08 and another 2 people were charged with Refusing to Provide a Breath Sample, for a total of 27 Criminal Code impaired violations.
• The average blood/alcohol reading was 174 mgs% (0.174), which is more than twice the legal limit. The highest reading was 280 mgs% (0.280), more than three times the legal limit.
During the same period of the 2007/2008 program there were 15 people charged for impaired driving related offences.
Other stats for the second week of the 2008/2009 program saw:
• 14 – 24 hour roadside suspensions.
• 46 people charged for not wearing their seatbelts and an additional 398 other provincial statute charges laid.
• There were two fatal motor vehicle collisions, one involving a pedestrian being struck and killed The driver/vehicle fled the scene and this investigation is on going. The second involved a snowmobile losing control while traveling in the ditch beside a rural road. The driver was wearing a helmet. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the collisions.
The two week total shows that 8189 vehicles have been checked with a total of 60 persons charged for Criminal Code Impaired Violations, with a further 30 persons having their driver licences suspended for 24 hours as a result of roadside screening for alcohol consumption. There have been four fatal collisions and 25 injury collisions reported. One 113 persons have been charged with failing to wear seatbelts and an additional 987 Provincial statute (mostly HTA)/LCA and CDSA charges laid.
NOTE: The difference in the totals for the two weeks is due to data arriving too late for the initial press release. The amended bac level for the first week was 177 mgs% (.177).
Contact:
Sgt. Wayne Blackmore
Traffic Services
Ph: 984-4731
Cell: 299-5162
