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RCMP are warning drivers they could find themselves eating a hefty ticket along with their Thanksgiving turkey if they don’t obey traffic laws on the highways.
Mounties and members of the Estevan, Moose Jaw, Regina and Saskatoon combined traffic units will be stepping up enforcement over the long weekend as part of Operation Impact, an annual campaign organized by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.
RCMP Sgt. Conrad Logan said officers will be looking for all infractions, with an emphasis on the “big four” of impaired driving, distracted driving, aggressive driving and seatbelts.
“We all have to drive for not only ourselves, but the other people out there,” he said.
While he said aggressive driving remained a fairly rare occurrence, he urged drivers to call in instances of road rage.
“It’s out there. Some of it gets reported to us, some of it doesn’t. We definitely encourage anybody where it does happen to contact their local police service so it can be dealt with.”
Logan reminded drivers that the distracted driving law applies to more than just smartphone use, covering any activity where someone is not paying proper attention to what’s going on on the road.
“Say if you’ve got a burger in your hand and a super-size drink over here and you’re driving with your elbows, well, I would say that’s distracted driving,” he said.
While he said there’s some progress on impaired driving, Logan said officers still find far too many people who don’t seem to get the message.
“Impaired driving is just not acceptable anymore. The fines alone and the penalties, not just with the criminal code but with SGI, they’re significant.”
Operation Impact began on Oct. 3 and will run right through the Thanksgiving long weekend.
