28 charged with impaired driving during 2022 holiday checkstop program, Winnipeg police say

Winnipeg police charged 28 people with impaired driving offences during the 2022 holiday season.

Out of the people who were charged, 10 were involved in collisions during this season's checkstop campaign, one of which resulted in a death, according to police.

Officers stopped 2,929 vehicles and conducted 481 roadside breath tests during thecheckstop program, which began on Dec. 2, 2022, the police service said in a Thursday news release.

The average blood alcohol concentration level was .14, which is nearly twice the legal limit of .08. The highest blood alcohol concentration was over three times the legal limit, at .27, police said.

Out of 481 roadside breath tests, 47 resulted in immediate roadside driving prohibitions. Under those prohibitions, introduced in 2019, police can issue immediate roadside finesandimpound the vehicles ofthose with a blood-alcohol level in the "warn" range (.05 to .079).

Police also confirmed in an emailthat one oral fluid test was positive for THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, but the toxicology results are still pending.

In comparison,police said last year they stopped2,471 vehicles during the2021 checkstop program andconducted368 roadside breath tests. Of those, 49 resulted in immediate roadside driving prohibitions.

The number of peoplecharged with impaired driving in 2021 28 was the same as 2022.