‘We just want to make sure everybody is safe’: Lethbridge police checkstop campaign underway

As Christmas celebrations begin, the Lethbridge Police Service is reminding all of us to enjoy the festivities safely.

Throughout the holidays, officers will conduct checkstops as part of the service’s annual Christmas campaign to catch impaired drivers.

In Canada, police can request a breath test from any driver who has been lawfully pulled over.

Driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over .08 is a criminal offence.

A driver found over .08 is also subject to immediate roadside sanctions.

A driver with a BAC of .05 to .079 is likewise subject to immediate roadside sanctions.

There is zero tolerance for drivers with graduated licences.

Officers will continue the checkstop campaign into the new year.

“People like to celebrate their Christmases in different ways, and obviously alcohol is a part of it for some people, and we just want to make sure everybody is safe this season and that there are no tragedies,” said Sgt. Tony Ramotowski with the traffic response unit.

The service is reminding those celebrating to plan ahead, whether that means calling a cab, calling a friend or using public transit to get home.

Last December, police say they performed about 1,250 checks.

Ten drivers were found with BACs over .08.

Ten more had BACs of .05 to .079.

Two fell under zero tolerance for drivers with graduated licences.

In addition, five criminal charges were laid, six warrants were executed and 123 violation tickets were issued.