Amanda Vaughan
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, January 16, 2008

YELLOWKNIFE - The Yellowknife RCMP has released stats from the holiday checkstops, and according to Sgt. Vic Steinhammer, drivers were good this year.

"I would say they were relatively low," Steinhammer said of the numbers of drunk driving-related charges in late December.

In partnership with the Municipal Enforcement Division (MED), the RCMP held 17 checkstops in varying places throughout Yellowknife between Dec. 14 and Jan. 2.

Steinhammer said police checked somewhere between 300 and 400 cars and discovered a total of 17 drinking-related driving offences.

They handed out one 30-day suspension, nine 24-hour suspensions and seven criminal charges of driving while drunk, as well as catching a number of non-alcohol-related offenders in the act as well. Steinhammer said police issued 22 Summary Offence Traffic Information (SOTI) tickets, which are for violations such as not wearing a seatbelt, driving without a licence or speeding.

The checkstops also turned up one person in possession of an illegal substance and another one with a dangerous weapon.

Some drivers who were stopped and found to be obeying the law were given coupons for free movie rentals from Movie Gallery.

Steinhammer said the holidays no longer result in a spike of intoxicated drivers they once did.

He credits this to party planners being aware that drinking guests need a safe ride home.

"There are so many organized events over the holidays, and rides are usually part of the organization process," he said.

That doesn't mean, however, that all the work is done.

"Too many people are still getting killed," he said of drinking and driving in general.

He said a lot of drinking and driving is being done by stubborn individuals who feel that a moderate consumption of alcohol "doesn't affect them," as well as new drivers who are inexperienced with their cars and booze.

"There needs to be more education for new drivers, and more responsibility taken by people themselves," Steinhammer said.

He said people who think they are OK after drinking are actually the most dangerous drivers.

"People who think they aren't drunk, or that the alcohol doesn't affect their driving aren't adjusting their speeds or acknowledging their reduced reaction times," he said.