Holiday checkstops in Calgary see nine impairment sanctions [Video]

Calgary police say more than 1,500 drivers were checked for impairment through checkstops last month.

Police held checkstops at six locations on five dates in December.

The Calgary Police Service says a total of nine impaired sanctions were issued – three warnings, three fails, two novice drivers and one 24-hour sanction.

“We are happy to report that no impaired drivers were encountered during the checkstop on New Year’s Eve,” police said in a statement.

“The motorists we encountered were utilizing ride sharing and designated drivers to get them safely around.”

Alberta transitioned to new impaired driving rules on Dec. 1, 2020, which changed how impaired drivers are penalized.

Since then, drivers have been subject to the Immediate Roadside Sanctions (IRS) program, which sees most dealt with by way of sanction.

Calgary police say there has been 1,689 impaired driving contraventions between Jan. 1 to Sept. 1, 2024 – the most …