BATTLEFORDS – The colder temperatures arrived this past weekend in Southern Saskatchewan, but that didn’t stop Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan from focusing on road safety in North Battleford.
Partnering with officers from the Saskatoon Police Service, Battleford Community Safety Officers, Battleford RCMP, 500 vehicles were stopped as part of this initiative within the City of North Battleford, and surrounding highways on Oct. 19 to Oct. 21.
The results were:
·Twenty-six license suspensions for testing positive for THC (on an approved screening device.
·Eight license suspensions as a result of approved screening device tests between .04 and .08 BAC
·One person was charged under the Cannabis Act (for having cannabis in a motor vehicle)
·Three people were charged under the Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act (for having open alcohol in vehicle)
·One driver located with existing licence suspensions
·One-hundred-seventy-three tickets were issued for various other offences (ex. speeding, distractive driving, seatbelts)
·Eleven invalid registrations (10 for invalid vehicle registration, 1 for invalid trailer registration)
·Thirty-two vehicles were impounded (for driver’s license suspensions related to cannabis and alcohol)
·Two-hundred-forty-four warnings were issued (for vehicle equipment regulations including mud flaps, burnt out headlights, cracked windshields
·Twelve vehicle inspections were issued
Over the weekend, officers issued 34 roadside suspensions – 26 related to cannabis use and eight related to alcohol.
“This weekend was a perfect example of why check stops like this are so important. Through this traffic safety initiative, our officers continued to educate the public safe driving practices and the impacts of cannabis use,” said S/Sgt. Kevin Williamson of the Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan.
“Cannabis remains in your body for a long time. For perspective, when considering whether it’s safe for you to operate a vehicle or not, when inhaled, cannabis effects can begin immediately and last several hours. When ingested, cannabis effects can last even longer. When deciding whether to get behind the wheel, always make sure that if you have used cannabis or any THC products you choose other options for a safe ride to your destination.”
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