Lethbridge Police Service wraps up its annual Christmas Check Stop Campaign. (Photo: LPS)

By Sarah Jones

Lethbridge Police nab seven impaired drivers during Christmas Check Stop Campaign

Jan 5, 2023 | 2:18 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) were out in full force for the month of December.

Over the holidays, LPS members were conducting stops across the city as part of their Christmas Check Stop Campaign.

In the past month, police checked nearly 1,300 cars and removed seven impaired drivers from the road.

A total of six drivers were issued Immediate Roadside Sanction (IRS) Fails and one impaired motorist was criminally charged.

According to a media release from LPS, “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.”

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Additionally, four drivers were issued IRS Warns, meaning their blood alcohol concentration was 0.5 or over. That results in an immediate three-day license suspension, vehicle seizure and $300 fine.

Police also handed out three Graduated Driving License suspensions, as there is a zero-tolerance policy for drivers. Repercussions include a 30-day license suspension, seven-day vehicle seizure and $200 fine.

During the Christmas Check Stop Campaign, officers also distributed four traffic tickets and apprehended two suspended drivers.

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

LPS thanks partnering agencies like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Alberta Sheriffs and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for their assistance during the annual holiday campaign.

Just outside of town on New Year’s Eve, the Blood Tribe Police Service also conducted a holiday check stop in conjunction with RCMP.

The single check stop was placed at the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway 5 outside of Cardston.

Members of both agencies conducted Mandatory Alcohol Screenings (MAS) for approximately an hour and screened 62 vehicles.

BTPS reported on their Facebook page that while they handed out three warnings for vehicle document related violations, every car screened had a sober driver.

READ MORE: LethbridgeNewsNow.