RCMP warns drivers – and boaters – to stay sober over long weekend

The Saskatchewan RCMP is reminding drivers and boaters to stay sober while on the road or water over the coming long weekend.

Sgt. Ian Amundsen with RCMP Traffic Services said the Mounties keep repeating the message, but some people are just not picking up on it.

“Sometimes we feel like a broken record, but some drivers are still not getting the message that impaired driving is dangerous,” Amundsen said in a statement.

“So far in July, Saskatchewan RCMP has charged 166 people with Criminal Code impaired driving offences. We also issued 162 roadside suspensions to drivers who consumed drugs, whose blood alcohol concentration was between .04 and .08, or who provided a breath sample that was positive for alcohol while being a novice driver.”

The RCMP highlighted a few concerning cases from the 166 impaired operation charges issued in July.

In one case from July 6, an officer in the northern part of the province stopped a driver with an infant passenger who was not in a proper car seat. According to the RCMP, the man behind the wheel had a suspended licence and was found to have a blood-alcohol concentration “nearly three times the legal limit.”

Impaired driving isn’t limited to just roads and highways. The RCMP said officers were patrolling a waterway in southern Saskatchewan on July 22 when they charged the operator of “a houseboat with numerous occupants” with impaired operation of a vessel.

Amundsen noted that police will be hitting the road looking for impaired drivers over the long weekend.

“If you are driving, ensure you are sober,” he said in a statement. “If you’re questioning whether you should be driving or not, you probably shouldn’t be.”