Drunk driving charges in Red Deer rose for the second consecutive year in 2009, according to statistics.
But for the first time in a few years, there were no traffic deaths recorded in Red Deer in 2009.
Sgt. Bob Bell, in charge of Red Deer city RCMP traffic section, said the numbers indicate an increase of about 11 per cent compared with 2008 figures.
There were 529 charges laid last year, from 477 in 2008.
Bell said the increase in drunk driving charges is an indication that when police have manpower to run CheckStops, they will catch drunk drivers.
He said the program is successful because of the help the Mounties get from the Alberta Sheriff’s Department and auxiliary RCMP constables.
Bell said what is also noticeable is the number of 24-hour suspensions has significantly increased — to 450 in 2009 from 318 the previous year.
He said during some CheckStops, police apprehend so many drunk drivers that there are not enough officers to process all the suspects.
Once a person is arrested for drunk driving, they must be taken back to the detachment and asked to surrender a sample of their breath for analysis.
A qualified operator is required for that and following this procedure the suspect must be photographed and fingerprinted, in addition to other paperwork. Processing one suspected drunk driver can take three or four hours.
Sheriffs can’t process Criminal Code offences, like drunk driving.
“Take the Dec. 18 CheckStop for example. We ran out of RCMP officers and it’s not like the drunk drivers stopped.”
Bell said about 80 per cent of all drunk driving charges are laid during a CheckStop. In addition, about 90 per cent of all 24-hour suspensions are handed out during CheckStops.
“Our aim is to get them before they have a collision.”
Bell said he’s amazed by the amount of drunk drivers on the road.
He said it’s perhaps the most recognizable law in Canada, yet people continue ignoring it.
Seatbelt and child restraint infractions also increased significantly last year, mainly due to stepped up enforcement. Last year, police handed out 1,480 tickets, compared with 1,093 in 2008.
jwilson@www.reddeeradvocate.com