RCMP traffic blitz this weekend

Cochrane RCMP will participate in the province-wide CheckStop Blitz on Dec. 2 to kick off National Impaired Driving Enforcement day, a national RCMP initiative taking place during National Safe Driving Week.

“The holiday season is right around the corner, so it’s important that we get out on the roads early this December to remind motorists of the dangers that come with alcohol or drug impaired driving, ” says S/Sgt. Don Murray, District Commander, Capital Region Integrated Traffic Unit.

Cochrane has seen its fair share of impaired drivers in the last year.

The town counted 121 reported incidents last year, which put Cochrane’s impaired driving rate (incidents per 100, 000 population) at 573.27 - far above the Canadian average which is 194.31.

This is according to a recent article by Maclean’s Magazine, which drew its data from Statistics Canada and Uniform Crime report to create a ranking of the nation’s “most dangerous places. ” The magazine used Crime Severity Index - a count of all criminal incidents reported to and by police divided by the population of interest.

The large-scale operation will take place across the province in local detachment areas and on major roads and highways.

The all-day event will see hundreds of RCMP officers and Alberta Sheriffs out on patrols to take drivers, impaired by drugs or alcohol, off the road.

The consumption of drug and alcohol results in a shorter attention span, an altered perception of time and distance and slower reaction times, the Alberta RCMP release stated.

“Impaired driving is a leading cause of death and injury on Alberta roads, but we can’t tackle this issue alone, ” says Superintendent Rick Gardner, Alberta Sheriffs. “Everyone has a part to play and that starts with planning ahead to have a designated driver or a safe ride when heading out to the festivities. ”

Drivers suspected of being impaired will be subject to road-side sobriety tests that may result in immediate licence suspensions and/or criminal charges.