Over 473 tickets issued, four impaired drivers charged

More provincial tickets were issued by the Cochrane Integrated Traffic Unit over this Labour Day weekend than in previous years.

Sgt. Dave Hardy reports 473 provincial traffic tickets were issued by RCMP officers and sheriffs. Additionally, four people were charged with impaired driving and two driver's licence suspensions were handed out. One involved alcohol, the other, drugs.

There was one fatal single-vehicle collision in their patrol area that involved a 70-year old motorcyclist from Calgary. Hardy says the circumstances surrounding the collision continue to be investigated.

He says a larger than normal presence by enforcement officers lead to the increase in tickets and that it doesn't necessarily mean there was an increase in infractions.

"It's very rarely that an officer gets those weekends off, right from the May Long weekend through to Thanksgiving," says Sgt. Hardy. "There's lots of scheduling and planning involved."

"Statistically speaking, collisions and crashes involving serious injuries and deaths are more prevalent on those long weekends."

Provincewide, Alberta RCMP issued a total of 2,592 traffic tickets and 412 warnings.

Overall, 1,916 individuals were ticketed for speeding, 46 individuals received fines for distracted driving, and 99 motorists were charged with impaired driving. Additionally, Alberta RCMP responded to 178 motor vehicle collisions, which resulted in three fatalities.

He says all but a few of the offenses were by roaming patrols. There was only a single checkstop conducted by the Ghost reservoir on Hwy. 1A late Friday afternoon.

Checkstops will be stepped up in the near future as the unit become accustom to COVID-19 protocols. Besides the need for personal protective equipment, it's a lengthier process because of the need to sanitize between each check.