National Safe Driving Week resulted in nearly 2,000 tickets issued by the Alberta RCMP from December 1st to the 7th alone.
During National Safe Driving Week, Alberta RCMP officers issued a total of 1,933 tickets. Of the tickets issued, 18 were for careless driving, 18 were for distracted driving, and speeding topped the list at 642 tickets. Police emphasize that one ticket was issued for an individual driving 80 kilometres per hour over the posted limit.
Over the course of the week, the RCMP dished out 159 Immediate Roadside Sanctions for impaired driving, and officers removed 54 impaired drivers from the roads on December 7th alone.
Following the initiative, Alberta RCMP Sergeant Darrin Turnbull took a moment to reflect on the number and the distracted and impaired driving trends that tend to stick out during the holiday season.
“Many Albertans will be traveling across the province to see their friends and families, no matter what your holiday plans are, always be mindful of traffic safety,” he says. “Saving a few minutes is not worth the risk.”
December 7th marked National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day, and to take action, the RCMP worked with partners across the province by setting up check stops across the province to perform alcohol screenings.
Given the initiative’s findings, the RCMP is reminding residents that traffic safety is a shared responsibility and that it is never safe to drive under the influence.
