Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 28/04) - RCMP officers doled out hundreds of traffic tickets last week in an effort to crack down on unlawful drivers during what is historically one of the most dangerous weekends to be on the road.

"It's fair to say that this is one of the busiest times of the year for us," said RCMP Sgt. Steve McVarnock.

As of last Thursday, police had already handed out nearly 300 tickets fora variety of violations including speeding, driving without insurance or a valid registration and failing to produce a driver's license.

But the bulk of the tickets -- 169 of the 293 -- went to drivers who were caught without their seatbelts.

"People are lax about seatbelts," said McVarnock.

"There's sort of a small town mentality here. But even at very slow speeds, you can do some major damage to yourself."

Police set up checkstops throughout the city late last week to help make sure drivers got the message before the long weekend, which McVarnock said is among the deadliest of the year.

In addition to regular members and auxiliary constables, commanders called in three RCMP officers from outside of Yellowknife to keep tabs on the extra traffic.

They concentrated efforts on Old Airport Road, but also ticketed drivers in Old Town and the downtown area.