The message, says EPS Insp. Dennis Storey, is clear.
“Think before you drink,” says Insp. Storey, of the EPS Traffic Section. “Ensure you have a plan for getting home safely during the holidays, if you’re going to be drinking. As a police service, we have zero tolerance for impaired driving and the life-altering consequences it can cause.
“You don’t have to throw a stone very far, before you encounter a police officer who has had to deliver the tragic news that a loved one was killed by an impaired driver. It’s often an early-morning knock on the door, which leaves everyone traumatized forever.
“As individuals, as a community, we need to take care of one another to ensure we all get home safely to our families.”
The EPS Checkstop program involves vehicle-stop locations and roving patrols across the city looking for impaired drivers. While it is aimed at detecting impaired drivers and removing them from the road, a large component is also aimed at educating the public of the dangers and consequences of drinking and driving.
The Checkstop Campaign enhances other EPS impaired driving enforcement efforts such as Target All Drunk Drivers (TADD - police mobile enforcement near entertainment areas) and Curb the Danger (citizens reporting impaired drivers by calling 911), and helps to make city streets safer for all citizens.
If you suspect a driver is impaired, please contact police as soon as possible to Curb the Danger:
- Call 911 if it is safe to do so. Calling 911 in an emergency, or to report an impaired driver, is permitted while driving under the distracted driving law.
- Report the location, vehicle description, and licence plate number.
- Keep the vehicle in sight but do not attempt to chase the vehicle, or break the law to do so.
For more information on EPS traffic safety and enforcement initiatives, please visit www.edmontonpolice.ca/traffic