Holiday RCMP checkstop campaigns and increased fines for people found drunk behind the wheel are part of a province-wide crackdown to keep impaired drivers off the roads.
Police in both Creighton and Flin Flon conducted and will continue to conduct checkstops for intoxicated drivers through December. In Flin Flon, 60 vehicles were checked during a checkstop Dec. 13, with all drivers found to be sober. Only one ticket was issued, but not for an impairment-related offence – the driver was allegedly behind the wheel of an unregistered vehicle.
“There’s always checkstops around Christmas, especially around New Year’s,” said Creighton RCMP Sgt. Sean McPhee during the Dec. 11 meeting of Creighton town council, where he provided the monthly update for councillors on detachment activities.
McPhee said in his experience, a larger percentage of intoxicated drivers found on the roads were older drivers, instead of younger drivers more commonly considered to be careless.
“If you look at demographics, it’s not younger people who get dinged. It’s people older than me. It’s people who grew up when this was the norm and that’s the way it was – and some of them don’t change,” he said.
Throughout 2019, 87 people died in Manitoba as a result of vehicle accidents, and 27 collisions (more than a third of accidents involving a fatality) were suspected to involve alcohol.
The first week of the Manitoba RCMP province-wide checkstop program, running throughout December, led to more than 3,700 vehicles checked across Manitoba, and ended with 26 people charged with impaired driving offenses under the Criminal Code.
Fifteen alcohol or drug-related roadside suspensions were issued in the first week of December.
Operation Red Nose will provide rides for holiday revellers Dec. 20-21 and on New Year’s Eve in the Flin Flon area. People in need of a ride on either of those three nights can call 204-687-7331 to arrange a lift.
Penalties
In Manitoba, beefed up enforcement for impaired driving offences came into effect Dec. 16. The new measures will make it easier for law enforcement to impound vehicles driven by intoxicated drivers, expand existing fines and include increased use of mandatory ignition interlocks.
The minimum cost associated with an impaired driving warning will range from $700 for a first violation to a $3,420 fine for a third violation or further. Under the new rules, a failed impaired driving test will include a minimum fine of $3,520, with the minimum cost of refusing a breath sample at $3,970.
“Immediate roadside prohibition means we will be able to take more impaired drivers off the road sooner,” said provincial justice minister Cliff Cullen in a press release.
“The strong sanctions in place are yet another good reason to make the right choice and never drive while impaired. Manitoba continues to be a leader in dealing with impaired drivers, and together we are saving lives.”
