Nearly 4,000 vehicles were stopped by Winnipeg police over the last four weeks as part of its holiday checkstop program.
“The big difference this year is we introduced a mandatory alcohol screening, which basically means that every one of those almost 4,000 people that we stopped, we tested for alcohol,” Sgt. Stephane Fontaine told CTV News in an interview. “The mandatory alcohol screening authority allows us to ensure that everyone that we came across were safe to drive.”
According to the latest numbers, a total of 124 drivers were found to be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
Police said four drivers were found unconscious behind the wheel.
Eighteen people were criminally charged with impaired driving, with one-third of those charges laid in the last week.
The highest blood alcohol concentration detected was more than three times the legal limit.
A dozen people failed drug screening tests. Police said 11 people tested positive for cannabis, while one driver tested positive for cocaine.
All in all, 93 traffic offence tickets were issued during the program’s duration.
Fontaine said officers were efficient in keeping the streets safe from impaired drivers, however, his goal is to get numbers down to zero.
“If that were ever possible, that would be described as a success,” he said.
While the holiday checkstop program may be over, enforcement is ongoing.
“Our concern doesn't end because the holidays have ended,” Fontaine said. “Our enforcement efforts are year-long, 365 days a year.”
