As we embark upon another holiday season, we can expect a rise in social gatherings and celebrations that may involve increased alcohol consumption. Despite education, ride-share programs, and police enforcement, impaired driving still prevails within our communities.
- In 2021, the Holiday Checkstop program processed 77 impaired drivers
- Year to date, the Traffic Division has investigated 37 traffic collisions
- 5 = collisions by impaired or suspected of being impaired drivers
- 8 = hit and runs
Inspector Doug Roxburgh, Commander of the Winnipeg Police Service Traffic Division, states;
“Over the past year, we have seen a spike in fatal and serious collisions in which a number of them involved impaired driving or suspected impairment. The Winnipeg Police are encouraging motorists to always plan ahead of time on how they will get home if they intend to take part in the consumption of intoxicants of any sort”.
Although the Winnipeg Police Service conducts impaired driving enforcement throughout the year, drivers can expect to see an increase in holiday Checkstops throughout the season.
On December 2, 2022, the Winnipeg Police Service launched our annual Holiday Checkstop program to combat impaired driving.
During this holiday, if the police direct you to drive through a Checkstop and you are found to be abiding by the rules of the road and sober, we want to say thank you and reward you for not drinking and driving!
We have collaborated with nine Smitty’s Restaurants in Winnipeg and Steinbach and will provide a voucher for a FREE Stack of Pancakes for being a Safe Driver! (some conditions apply).
Valerie Funk, a representative of Smitty’s Restaurants, states,
“As Canada’s largest all-day family restaurant, we are proud to partner with the Winnipeg Police Service on this initiative to encourage safe driving this holiday season. By rewarding safe and sober driving, we hope to encourage people to think twice before getting behind the wheel, hoping that all families will be able to celebrate the holidays safely this season.”
The Winnipeg Police would like to thank Smitty’s for contributing to this initiative and reinforcing the need to have safe and sober drivers on the road – at all times of the year.
A driver’s visual, manual and cognitive functions are diminished with impairment. Driving while impaired greatly increases your risk of a collision causing injury or death. Motor vehicle collisions related to impaired driving are preventable. We all have the responsibility to stay sober behind the wheel.
If you see what you believe to be an impaired driver, please call 911.
Please consider safer driving alternatives such as a designated driver, public transportation or a ride-sharing program (Operation Red Nose).
