Police stop nearly 3,000 drivers in checkstops

The Winnipeg Police Service stopped 442 vehicles during the final days of its annual holiday checkstop campaign.

Twenty-nine of the drivers stopped between Dec. 21 and Dec. 31 were under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the WPS said Tuesday. Twelve were charged criminally with an offence related to impaired driving, six were given an immediate roadside prohibition for failing a breathalyzer, and 11 were given a warning based on their blood-alcohol level.

Police previously released partial numbers for that period, from Dec. 21 to Dec. 28.

Officers stopped 2,785 vehicles and identified 102 drivers under the influence of alcohol or cannabis during the holiday program, the WPS said in a news release Tuesday. Fifteen people were charged criminally with alcohol-related impaired driving, while 77 were given immediate roadside prohibitions, and nine failed cannabis tests. Police gave out 146 traffic tickets.

The highest blood-alcohol level registered was more than three times the legal limit. In one incident, an impaired driver was involved in a multi-vehicle collision, the WPS said.