Lethbridge Police conclude Christmas Check Stop campaign

The annual Lethbridge Police Service Christmas Check Stop campaign resulted in a total of seven impaired drivers being removed from the road.

Over the month of December police checked nearly 1,300 motorists and criminally charged one impaired driver, issued six Immediate Roadside Sanction Fails, four IRS Warns, three Graduated Driving License suspensions, four traffic tickets and apprehended two suspended drivers.

Under the provincial IRS program if an officer has reasonable grounds to believe a driver is impaired by drugs or alcohol or over the legal limit, an IRS Fail is issued resulting in a 15-month suspension (with the option of getting an ignition interlock device after the first three months), 30-day vehicle seizure, $1,000 fine and mandatory completion of the Planning Ahead course. Drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of .05 or over are subject to an IRS Warn resulting in an immediate three-day license suspension and vehicle seizure along with a $300 fine. Penalties increase with repeated offences. There is zero tolerance for drivers with a Graduated Driving License and offences result in an immediate 30-day license suspension, seven-day vehicle seizure and $200 fine.

LPS wishes to thank our partner agencies – RCMP and Alberta Sheriffs – for their assistance during the Check Stops as well as local Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) volunteers.

Comparatively during the 2021 campaign, LPS issued 12 IRS Fails, four IRS Warns and eight IRS for zero tolerance with a Graduated Drivers License.