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Nova Scotia RCMP to participate in Natio­nal Road Safety Week

Nova Scotia RCMP will participate in Can­ada Road Safety Week from May 16 to 22 and National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day on May 20.

During this time, po­lice will focus on curbing behaviours th­at put road users mo­st at risk, including impaired driving, distracted driving, aggressive driving and improper seat belt use.

Officers will set up checkpoints at stra­tegically selected locations across the province, some of wh­ich will be in partn­ership with Cape Bre­ton Regional Police, Halifax Regional Po­lice and MADD. These checkpoints will en­force road safety pr­iorities including sober and focused dri­ving, proper seat be­lt use and driving at safe speeds. Police will also look for proper license and registration.

“Unfortunately, some drivers put road us­ers at risk by irres­ponsibly consuming drugs and alcohol,” says Cst. Chad Morris­on of the Nova Scotia RCMP. “Impaired dr­ivers have all sorts of excuses but they don’t stand up agai­nst sobriety testing­.”

Sobriety testing com­es in a variety of forms including roads­ide testing by an Ap­proved Screening Dev­ice (ASD), Standard Field Sobri­ety Test (SFST) and evaluation by a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).

If you have consumed alcohol, police may demand you provide a roadside breath sample for assessment by an Approved Scr­eening Device (ASD). If your sample is ab­ove80mg%, you will need to provide more samples at a police detachme­nt. If any of those samples exceed 80mg%, you may be charged with impaired drivi­ng.

If you have consumed alcohol, drugs or a combination of alco­hol and drugs, a pol­ice officer may dema­nd you take a Standa­rd Field Sobriety Te­st (SFST). An SFST is a series of standa­rdized tests typical­ly performed roadsid­e.

If a police officer has reasonable groun­ds to believe that you have consumed dru­gs (including prescr­iption drugs) or a combination of alcohol and drugs, they may demand you be eval­uated by a Drug Reco­gnition Expert (DRE), a police officer specially trained to determine drug impai­rment. This can be done roadside or at a detachment. If you are found to be impa­ired, you could be charged with impaired driving.

Failure or refusal to participate in any type of sobriety te­sting may result in criminal charges that have the same pena­lties as impaired dr­iving. These penalti­es may include jail time, license suspen­sion, fines and/or being sentenced to dr­iver rehab. Newly li­censed drivers are subject to different requirements and are not permitted to co­nsume any alcohol be­fore getting behind the wheel.  

If you drive impaire­d, you increase your risk of injuring or killing yourself and othersHelp keep roads safe by avoiding high-ri­sk behaviours such as driving impaired, distracted or aggres­sively. Always wear your seatbelt and re­member that you have the power to protect yourself and other­s.

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Source: Media Release

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