EDMONTON — Alberta RCMP laid 77 impaired driving-related charges this past August long weekend, which is a drop over last year’s numbers.
While ongoing investigations may result in more charges added to this year’s total, officers said they issued 51 fewer tickets from last year’s 128 charges over the August long weekend.
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While the overall number of charges was down, there was an increase in the number of roadside suspensions issued to drivers. This August long weekend saw 89 suspensions versus 54 in 2014.
Suspensions are issued to drivers who have a blood alcohol concentration between .05 and .08. Sanctions start with a three-day licence suspension and three-day vehicle seizure for the first offence.
RCMP see more fatal collisions involving alcohol in the warm spring and summer months. Officers said most of those collision happen during the weekend.
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