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No one charged with impaired driving at last night’s checkstop

Jul 29, 2018 | 3:51 PM

 

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Medicine Hat Police Service, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving teamed up to complete another Alberta Enhanced Checkstop Program Saturday night.

On the final night of the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede officers checked a total of 770 vehicles throughout the night, and into Sunday morning continuing their series of summer checkstops.

Officers conducted seven roadside screening tests for alcohol, and no motorists were charged with impaired driving. There was one, three day suspension issue relating to alcohol.

These numbers are down from the previous week where six arrests were made for alcohol related offences.

A Standardized Field Sobriety Test for drugs was completed one motorist and there was one, twenty-four hour suspension issued relating to drugs.

Five other tickets were handed out for traffic offences that included having no insurance, and operating a vehicle without a licence.

There were five warnings for traffic act offences, and another five warnings were given mostly relating to having unopened liquor within reach of someone in the car.

Valerie Maconochie, MADD Volunteer Coordinator, was standing alongside officers handing out gifts, and thanking the public for staying sober when behind the wheel.

“We’re with a police officer this evening just catching you being good,” said Maconochie. “We’re handing out a bit of swag, promotional stuff for MADD, and it’s just a great campaign for us to make the public aware of what we do.”

Maconochie says MADD has a great relationship with MHPS, and it’s great to see less people drinking and driving.

“It’s really important that they realize that we do work with the police and we are out here. The majority of the people that are going through aren’t drinking and driving,” said Maconochie. “So the message is getting across, and it’s an important one.”