4,500 vehicles pulled over during Chamberlain checkstops: RCMP

If you were passing through Chamberlain last week, you may have noticed some red and blue flashing lights.

The Saskatchewan RCMP said it pulled over about 4,500 vehicles at checkstops from Tuesday to Thursday on Highway 11 near Chamberlain. The Country Thunder campground in Craven is nearby.

The checkstops resulted in 42 licence suspensions for impaired drivers, with 40 of those impaired by cannabis. One suspension was issued for impairment by alcohol and one for cocaine.

“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,” RCMP Supt. Grant St. Germaine said in a media release.

“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.”

The RCMP said one driver was charged under the Tobacco Act after police found more than 10,000 cigarettes in the vehicle. The Mounties also issued 898 warnings during the checkstops.

According to the RCMP, here’s what resulted from the checkstops:

• 40 driver’s licence suspensions for being impaired by cannabis;
• One driver’s licence suspension for being impaired by cocaine;
• One driver’s licence suspension for being impaired by alcohol;
• Seven tickets for cellphone use while driving;
• 17 tickets for seatbelt offences (ex. not wearing a seatbelts, child not in a approved car seat);
• Nine tickets for driving an unregistered vehicle;
• Four tickets for possessing or consuming cannabis in a vehicle;
• 189 tickets for various other offences (ex. speeding, vehicle equipment violations);
• 13 vehicle inspections ordered;
• Four 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);
• Two drivers arrested in relation to outstanding warrants;
• Three drivers driving without valid licence; and,
• Three people charged under the Tobacco Act.

Saskatchewan RCMP Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan and officers from the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol of the Provincial Protective Services Branch conducted the traffic initiative.