Police laid around 70 charges during a series of Labour Day weekend check-stops around Yellowknife.
RCMP monitored drivers at points throughout the city and on the Ingraham Trail, setting up half a dozen checkpoints over two days.
Seven people were charged under the criminal code for offences like driving while impaired, breaching release conditions or carrying drugs like cocaine and marijuana. There were around 60 lesser charges for speeding and driving while distracted by devices like phones.
“Generally speaking, those numbers are consistent with what we’ve seen in the past,” said Corporal Todd Scaplen of traffic services.
“We know that on long weekends there’s a lot of traffic and we want to make sure that when people are out, they’re going to be safe on the roads. We will target those who aren’t abiding by the rules of the road.
“We had a lot of great comments from the public. On the Ingraham Trail, specifically, a lot of people who live out that way were happy to see us out working the area.”
RCMP’s next “enhanced enforcement initiative” will be Operation Impact – the name for the annual traffic operation conducted over the Thanksgiving long weekend.
“Operation Impact is a national initiative: we’re looking to stop aggressive and dangerous driving patterns and behaviours,” Scaplen told Moose FM.
“Impaired driving is still an issue and we’re not going to stop until people curb their driving habits and learn how to park their vehicle and walk home.”
