Weekend Checkstops during Rainmaker Rodeo result in suspensions and impaired charges

submitted by St. Albert RCMP

St. Albert RCMP Traffic Services were busy conducting Checkstops Friday and Saturday evening during the Rainmaker Rodeo events.

On Friday night, RCMP Traffic members set up Checkstops on both ends of the Rodeo grounds and also conducted roving patrols. Throughout the course of the evening, 120 vehicles were stopped and Mandatory Alcohol Screening (MAS) demands were given, resulting in the following charges:

2 X – 72-hour Suspension – Section 88(2) Traffic Safety Act
1 X – Impaired Driving – Section 320.14 Criminal Code

Checkstops and roving patrols on Saturday night resulted in St. Albert Traffic Services checking approximately 250 vehicles and MAS demands were given. The following charges were laid:
3 X – 72-hour Suspension – Section 88(2) Traffic Safety Act
1 X – 30-Day Suspension – GDL – Section 90 Traffic Safety Act
1 X – Impaired Driving – Section 320.14 Criminal Code

St. Albert RCMP General Duty members were also busy during the Rainmaker Rodeo, assisting security personnel at the events. 12 people were arrested for various alcohol-related incidents but later released without charges.

Inspector Pam Robinson wants to remind citizens that if you are planning on drinking, please do not drive. By finding an alternative way home such as transit, cabs, or a designated driver you can help ensure that you, and people sharing the road with you, get to their destination safely. Also, it is important for people to realize that alcohol affects individuals in different ways. Factors such as diet, fatigue, and prescriptions can change how alcohol affects an individual. It is possible to be considered impaired while having a Blood Alcohol Content below 0.08.

*On December 18, 2018, Mandatory Alcohol Screening (MAS) became law in Canada, giving police the authority to demand a breath test of any driver, even in the absence of suspicion or cause.