Drumheller RCMP were busy over this past weekend. In addition to responding to twenty five calls for service over the weekend, police dealt with four impaired drivers on Saturday night. Of note, these incidents were not reported to police by the public, and were initiated by multiple officers conducting traffic enforcement.
On Saturday evening, just before 6:00 pm, RCMP conducted a traffic stop with a vehicle that drove through a stop sign. The driver, a 39 year old male from the Delia area, was subsequently arrested for impaired driving. After providing breath samples at the Detachment, he was released on a Promise to Appear in Drumheller Provincial Court on April 10th.
Just before 10:00 pm, RCMP conducted a traffic stop in Drumheller with a vehicle swerving as it drove. The driver, a 29 year old female from Drumheller, was subsequently arrested for impaired driving. After providing breath samples at the Detachment, she was released on a Promise to Appear in Drumheller Provincial Court on April 24th.
Around 11:00 pm, the Alberta Sheriffs were conducting a Check Stop in Drumheller. One driver was observed to have been consuming alcohol prior to driving. A breath sample was provided roadside which confirmed the driver was not over the limit to warrant Criminal Code charges. However, the driver's blood alcohol concentration did exceed the Provincial threshold, resulting in a suspension of his license and seizure of his vehicle.
Shortly after 2:00 am on Sunday morning, RCMP conducted a traffic stop with a speeding vehicle on Highway 9 north of Drumheller. The driver, a 41 year old male from Drumheller, was subsequently arrested for impaired driving. After providing breath samples at the Detachment, he was released to appear in Drumheller Provincial Court on April 24th.
The above criminal allegations have not yet been proven in court.
In Alberta, drivers charged with Impaired Driving, Driving Over .08, or Refusal to Provide Breath Samples, immediately have their drivers licence seized and destroyed, resulting in a suspension until the charge is disposed in court. In addition, the vehicle they were driving is seized for 3 or 7 days, depending on previous incidents, and regardless of who the owner is.
Under the Criminal Code of Canada, persons charged with the above offences face a mandatory minimum driving prohibition of one year, and up to five years. This is in addition to high fines and jail.
Alberta laws also direct further sanctions against drivers whose breath samples are between .05 and .08 blood alcohol concentration. For a first offence, the driver is suspended for 3 days and the vehicle is seized for 3 days. For a second offence, the driver is suspended for 15 days and the vehicle is seized for 7 days. For any subsequent offence, the driver is suspended for 30 days and the vehicle is seized for 7 days.
Novice and GDL drivers fall under the zero alcohol tolerance and receive a 30 day license suspension and 7 day vehicle seizure for any alcohol detected through breath samples.
Drumheller RCMP are committed to keeping the roads safe for everyone. Traffic enforcement is one way to locate impaired drivers and remove them from control of vehicles. Remember: there are no reasons to drink and drive. Plan your activities; call family, call a friend, or call a taxi. Ideally, police would not find impaired drivers because people would ensure their friends, family, and themselves do not drink and drive. RCMP ask the public to report impaired drivers immediately by pulling over and calling 403-823-2630 or 9-1-1.
