It is another August long weekend and this means that RCMP will be out around the province. RCMP are highlighting impaired driving this upcoming month.
Officers say that the end of summer has more traffic with more instances of impaired driving.
Last August long weekend on the roads, RCMP report 77 charges laid for impaired driving which was down from the year before at 128. There were 89 license suspensions and vehicle seizures last year as well. Drivers receive the 3 day penalty if they are found to have a blood alcohol concentration between .05 and .08 and it is their first offence with no criminal charges involved.
Around the province, officers report that there were 264 multi vehicle collisions last year. Although the amount of collisions were down from 2014, there were three fatalities in 2015 which is the same number as the year before.
Drivers are reminded to obey speed limits, put away distractions like cell phones, and make sure everyone is buckled up. It should also go without saying that drinking and driving don’t mix.
Officers will also be making a bigger presence out on the water and in the bush. They say anyone travelling on rivers or off-highway can get the same penalties as those on the highways and city roads.