Canada Road Safety Week stretches from Tuesday, May 14th through Victoria Day.
During the week, Alberta RCMP will be partnering with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police to promote safe driving behaviours during the week and National Impaired Driving Enforcement day.
Sergeant Darrin Turnbull with Alberta RCMP Traffic Services notes that during last year’s Canada Road Safety Week alone, RCMP officers removed 205 impaired motorists from Alberta’s streets and highways. He adds, the Alberta RCMP removed 7,707 impaired drivers from provincial roadways in 2023, which is an average of 21 impaired drivers per day.
This year, the RCMP will focus enforcement efforts on behaviours that present serious risk to drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. The list of those behavious includes drug and alcohol impaired driving, fatigue, distracted driving, aggressive driving, and driving without a seat belt.
Tips they are passing along to promote public compliance with safe driving measures include always buckling up no matter how short your trip is. If you consume drugs or alcohol, arrange for transportation from a sober friend, taxi, family member, or ride-sharing service. Get enough sleep, and if you find yourself getting tired while driving, find a safe place to pull over for a rest. If you are becoming agitated with another driver, or encounter another motorist driving aggressively, safely pull over and contact the police.
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