Police to Step Up Watch for Impaired Drivers
’Tis the season for RCMP and other police to take an extra watch for impaired drivers.

RCMP constable Karen Freilinger says that they will have a couple of extra check stops in the area as the festive season approaches.

When police pull over drivers they suspect have been drinking alcohol they will question the driver and may subject them to a special roadside screening device called an Alco-Sur.

The device has three lights on it: green that indicates a pass for a driver, yellow which leads to a 24 hour suspension—and red that means an arrest and the driver is then brought back to the RCMP office for a further blood alcohol test.

If a driver is obviously impaired he or she would be arrested immediately.

A person charged can spend the night in the local jail where a guard will be present to supervise.

Some people, says Freilinger, are very co-operative and polite when brought in and know they did something wrong. Often they are co-operative with police and that report is usually sent along to the court appearance. But sometimes impaired drivers can cause more serious problems. A year ago Freilinger had to draw her gun on a suspect when she was threatened with a weapon. That person wound up with six days in jail and a one year driving prohibition for a variety of charges.