From Tuesday July 11 to Thursday July 13, 2023, the Saskatchewan RCMP checked approximately 4500 vehicles on Highway #11 by Chamberlain, Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan RCMP Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan (CTSS) partnered with officers from Saskatchewan Highway Patrol of the Provincial Protective Services (PPS) Branch to conduct the traffic initiative. The focus for police officers was removing impaired drivers, unsafe vehicles and vehicles towing recreational items (ex. campers, trailers and boats) improperly from Saskatchewan roads.
Here's what was located:
- 40 driver's licence suspensions for being impaired by cannabis
- 1 driver's licence suspension for being impaired by cocaine
- 1 driver's licence suspension for being impaired by alcohol
- 7 tickets for cell phone use while driving
- 17 tickets for seatbelt offences (ex. not wearing a seatbelts, child not in a approved car seat)
- 9 tickets for driving an unregistered vehicle
- 4 tickets for possessing or consuming cannabis in a vehicle
- 189 tickets were issued for various other offences (ex. speeding, vehicle equipment violations)
- 13 vehicle inspections were issued
- 4 drivers located with current licence suspensions
- 31 vehicles taken out of service for various infractions (ex. no trailer brakes/signal lights, no safety chains on a trailer)
- 2 drivers were arrested in relation to outstanding warrants
- 3 drivers were driving without valid licence
- 3 people charged under the Tobacco Act - one driver had over 10,000 cigarettes in the vehicle
- 898 warnings were issued
*These violations and tickets were identified/issued between 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday and 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday/Thursday.
42 vehicles were impounded for impaired driving at the dedicated traffic stop on Highway 11 this week. The Saskatchewan RCMP has seen an increasing number of licence suspensions, specifically for cannabis use.
"Saskatchewan RCMP officers have advanced training in using specialized tools to detect drug impairment, which has ultimately resulted in a rise in cannabis-related licence suspensions since 2019," says Superintendent Grant St. Germaine, officer in charge of Saskatchewan RCMP's Traffic Services. "Perhaps surprisingly, the individuals facing license suspensions as a result of our proactive traffic initiative this week were everyday commuters – some even going to work or travelling with young children. Our RCMP officers on duty in Chamberlain, in conjunction with Saskatchewan Highway Patrol, helped make our roads safer this week – and for that I am grateful."