Cochrane RCMP has repeated the same message multiple times, and this year like prior ones, the message is not being heard.

Over the month of December, RCMP laid 14 impaired charges and two are still pending.

Sergeant Dave Hardy, Integrated Traffic Services, says eleven of them were charged through traffic stops while the others were involved in collisions.

"Three of the investigations involved single vehicle collisions where the vehicle left the highway surface and became stuck or struck an object. The drivers were arrested at the scenes of these collisions and follow up investigations resulted in impaired driving related charges."

Although there were no fatalities, one collision is still being investigated for alcohol where both driver and passenger sustained injuries, while the other is being investigated for drug impairment.

"By no means was this a good month, in my opinion, the impaired related collisions clearly indicates what happens when you operate a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs;  fortunately no innocent highway users were affected by these incidents it could have been different."

Although unseasonably cold weather and bad roads resulted in shorter duration checkstops, the road conditions were probably a good thing.

"Quite often when the roads conditions were the way they were, vehicle traffic has to go slower, with slower speeds there's less injures. Absolutely, the road conditions made it difficult to enforce but at the same time it could have helped us out for when these collisions did happen they weren't as extreme as what they could have been."

Sergeant Hardy says even though the Christmas season generally yields higher number of charges, Cochrane RCMP will continue to enforce the law and hold those who drink and drive accountable.

 

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