Alberta RCMP enforces safe, sober driving this holiday season

December 4, 2020
Edmonton, Alberta

News release

Though the ways we celebrate the holiday season may have changed this year, the dangers of driving impaired have not. The Alberta RCMP is working to promote safe, sober driving through National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day on Saturday, Dec. 5. As part of the annual, nation-wide initiative, Alberta RCMP will be patrolling our provincial highways and conducting check stops, ensuring impaired drivers are apprehended and removed from the roads.

"In 2019, over 6,000 impaired driving-related charges were laid, and approximately 30% of all fatal collisions in Alberta RCMP jurisdictions involved alcohol or drugs," explains Supt. Gary Graham, Alberta RCMP Traffic Services. "Please plan ahead and find a safe means of transportation to and from your holiday destinations."

The Alberta RCMP is asking motorists to remember the following this December:

  • Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol impairs your judgment and reaction time.
  • Impaired driving is criminal and dangerous.
  • Individuals with a Graduated Driver's Licence must abide by the zero tolerance law. (Government of Alberta, 2020)
  • Impaired driving is always preventable and can always be avoided. Call a taxi/rideshare service, use a designated driver, or stay the night.

"We want Albertans to know that it is never okay to get behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs or alcohol," says Supt. Rick Gardner, Alberta Traffic Sheriffs. "You risk not only your own safety, but also the lives of others."

To learn about newly implemented provincial sanctions surrounding impaired driving, please visit the Government of Alberta website. For more traffic safety information, follow us on Facebook @RCMPinAlberta and Twitter @RCMPAlberta.

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Contact information

Constable Michael Hibbs
Alberta RCMP Traffic Services
587-341-4827

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