As part of Operation Impact over Thanksgiving weekend, October 5-8, Nova Scotia RCMP checked over 9,000 vehicles and charged over 1,000 motorists for offences related to impaired driving, distracted driving, aggressive driving and improper seat belt use.
Operation Impact is an annual initiative led by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) to increase road safety. The goal is to minimize injuries and save lives by promoting safe driving and reducing the four most significant factors causing serious and fatal collisions: impaired driving, distracted driving, aggressive driving and not wearing a seatbelt or wearing one incorrectly. During Operation Impact, Nova Scotia RCMP Traffic Services and Detachment members increased targeted enforcement throughout the province. This included a specialized Operation Impact Enforcement Team dedicated exclusively to conducting checkpoints over the weekend.
During Operation Impact, Nova Scotia RCMP charged multiple motorists with impairment-related offences including:
- 23 motorists charged for driving while impaired by alcohol
- six motorists charged for driving while impaired by drug
- 13 motorists issued roadside suspensions for driving with a Blood Alcohol Concentration between 50-80 milligrams of alcohol in one hundred millilitres of blood (50mg% to 80mg%)
Nova Scotia RCMP also issued many Summary Offence Tickets, including:
- 668 speeding charges
- seven stunting charges
- 104 seat belt charges
- three careless driving charges
- 29 charges for using cell phones while driving
“Everyone has a responsibility to help keep our roads safe,” says Cst. Chad Morrison of the Nova Scotia RCMP. “When motorists take ownership of that responsibility, they make a huge difference in the safety of their communities.”
Although Operation Impact has come to a close, RCMP police officers remain on the road to protect Nova Scotians 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The RCMP wishes to thank the thousands of motorists who help protect their communities by driving safely every day and asks everyone to drive responsibly, sober and at safe speeds. Always wear a seat belt correctly and stay focused on the road at all times. Police also ask residents to help protect their communities by reporting dangerous drivers. If you see a motorist who is an immediate threat to road safety, call 911 and pass the following information along, if possible:
- description of the vehicle and driver
- licence plate number
- direction the vehicle is travelling
.
Source : Media Release
