'We need to stop this': WPS, RCMP stepping up enforcement to target impaired drivers
Manitoba RCMP and Winnipeg Police Service are teaming up to step up enforcement to catch impaired drivers on roadways.
The joint forces initiative is to mark National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day.
Officers with both the RCMP and the WPS will be targeting impaired drivers at different locations in and around Winnipeg, while Mounties will be doing further enforcement in rural Manitoba.
RCMP Inspector Joe Telus says in RCMP jurisdictions, 1,396 impaired drivers have been taken off the road so far this year.
“It's time to realize this is not about people being uneducated as to the risk. It is about people making choices, and some people are still making poor, poor ones,” he said.
The Winnipeg Police Service said it is also launching and operating its annual check stop program during December.
Inspector Doug Roxburgh, commander of the WPS central traffic division, said the 2021 check stop program revealed some ‘troubling numbers,’ with an average blood alcohol concentration that was double the legal limit.
“Our highest was 330 milligrams per cent. To put it in perspective, 350 milligrams per cent, we hospitalize people. It's problematic,” he said.
The average age of impaired drivers caught by WPS last year was 40. The youngest was 18, and the oldest was 66.
Roxburgh said 86 per cent of impaired drivers were male.
His division has seen some concerning numbers in 2022, as well, with an increase in serious or fatal collisions. The inspector noted they are investigating up to 40 collisions currently, resulting in 24 deaths.
“We need to stop this. We want everyone to have a safe holiday season,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.