Lethbridge police will focus on impaired driving in July as part of a province-wide traffic enforcement program.
“Albertans understand the dangers of impaired driving. The number of people killed by a legally impaired driver – either by alcohol or drugs – has actually decreased over the years,” reads a news release from Lethbridge Police Service. “2019 featured the lowest number of such fatalities in Canada, 66, since data was first collected in 1986.”
LPS said one in 10 drivers involved in fatal collisions in the province are impaired. “Every single driver can make a difference, and save lives, by making the smart decision to find a safe way home instead of driving impaired.”
Police note officers are well-trained in identifying impaired drivers and will be conducting random check stops throughout the month.
In 2019, 47.6 per cent of impaired driving casualties occurred between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m and according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), over the last five years approximately 8,600 people were convicted of impaired driving in Alberta annually.
LPS said men aged 25–34 were most likely to have been impaired in a casualty collision than any other group in 2019.
LPS also encourages the public to continue working with officers by reporting impaired drivers.