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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Yellowknife RCMP are reporting four charges of impaired driving laid during the holiday season as nine check stops were conducted through the month of December and New Year's night.

Yellowknife RCMP Const. Kathy Law said 400 vehicles passed through checkpoints in various parts of the city.

"It's a fairly low number, but definitely it's higher than it should be," said Law of the four impaired driving charges. "There should be no impaired drivers, nobody on the road that's over the legal limit."

In addition to the impaired driving charges there were also 32 traffic tickets or warnings given to motorists and eight 24-hour suspensions.

"There's various reasons (24-hour suspensions) can be issued," said Law.

"If the person has been drinking but they're not intoxicated or over the legal limit then they can get a 24-hour suspension."

It can also be issued when an individual has consumed alcohol that is over the Territorial Motor Vehicle Act limit of 0.05 but not above the Criminal Code limit of 0.08 blood alcohol. Hay River RCMP Cpl. Michael Carter said Yellowknife, along with Hay River and Behchoko, had the highest number of impaired drivers caught.

"There was one or two caught in several places," he said. The smaller numbers of individuals caught driving while impaired were in smaller communities.

Carter said the Christmas holiday season in 2007 resulted in 11 individuals charged with impaired driving throughout the territory. This year resulted in a total of 15 charges of impaired driving in the NWT.

"So we've seen an increase in the number of people that have been caught in this season," said Carter.

RCMP check stops throughout the territory pulled over more than 1,000 motorists, resulting in 30 driving suspensions for alcohol consumption ranging from 24 hours to 90 days.

The 2008 holiday season also netted 80 traffic tickets or warnings for a variety of motor vehicle violations including speeding and failing to wear seatbelts.