OLDS – Now that summer is approaching, Olds RCMP will be checking drivers to make sure they’re not impaired, Cpl. Leif Svendsen says.
And that could happen at any time.
Svendsen made that statement during town council’s June 9 meeting.
He was responding to a question from Coun. Darren Wilson who wondered what traffic enforcement will be like as more people take to the roads in the summer.
“You're absolutely right. More vehicles on the road, people with their campers going to say, campgrounds or Crown land. People cruising their convertible say, if the sun's out and the top’s down,” Svendsen said.
“(In) summertime, we will be increasing traffic enforcement, and we have a number of members who are really eager to do so. It is to keep the roads safe in our community, for our citizens, for the obvious reasons.”
Svendsen said police want people to come forward and bring up traffic concerns.
“Say, if they're dropping their children off in the school zone; ‘hey, I believe people are speeding through this area. I'm dropping my kids off. I have a concern for the safety of the children and everybody else in the location,’” he said.
Svendsen and Wilson noted that police can now conduct mandatory checks for impairment under a law passed in 2018.
“Our members are out and about. They'll pull people over as they see fit, based on driving behaviour,” Svendsen said. “It doesn't matter time of day, the driving behaviour.
“It's used as a preventative measure to deter impaired driving.
“I mean, a lot of drivers ask us,’why am I doing this? It's 10:30 in the morning. I'm with my kids going to the mall. I haven't been drinking.’ It doesn't matter, and we explain it on-scene.”
