From December 26 to January 1, 2012, the RCMP Holiday Checkstop Program has resulted in numerous charges.
• 4,303 vehicles checked across the province during 121 check stops
• 31 people charged with either Impaired Driving or Drive Over .08 or Refusal. An additional 7 people were given 24-hour alcohol related roadside suspensions.
• The average blood/alcohol reading was 161 mgs% (0.161) – just over double the legal limit
• The highest blood/alcohol reading was 290 mgs% (0.290)
• During one Check Stop in Nelson House, RCMP and Band Constables seized 35 – 40 oz and 20 – 26 oz bottles of liquor
• An additional 312 people were charged for various offences under the HTA (Highway Traffic Act)
During the same period of the 2010/2011 program there were 26 people charged with impaired driving related offences (impaired, Over .08, or refusal).
There were no fatal motor vehicle collisions during the final week of the Checkstop Program.
Throughout the month-long 2011/12 enforcement campaign, a total of 20,641 vehicles were checked during 517 Check Stops. These checks resulted in 141 people being charged with criminal code impaired violations (impaired/over .08/refusal) and 37 people who were given 24-hour alcohol related roadside suspensions. There were 3 fatalities from 3 separate collisions, 106 seatbelt charges and an additional 1864 other HTA charges were also processed.
This compares with 25,439 vehicles checked during 640 Checkstops in 2010/2011, which resulted in a total of 120 impaired/over .08/refusal charges, with 47 – 24 hour suspensions issued. There were 3 people killed in 3 separate collisions, 163 seatbelt and 1,666 other HTA charges were processed.
