Plan ahead, or face the consequences the New Year’s Eve.
Whether it’s having a designated driver, calling a cab or spending the night, Okotoks RCMP Sgt. Sukh Randhawa said there are always alternatives to getting behind the wheel after having too much to drink.
“In the end, crashing on someone’s couch is better than crashing on the road,” he said.
Randhawa urged people to drink responsibly and plan ahead because he wants everyone to arrive home safe.
“We’re going to be out and about patrolling the town to make sure the community is enjoying the holiday in a safe manner,” he said.
Impaired driving is a 100 per cent preventable crime. Sometimes it takes a little help from friends and family and Randhawa said everyone has a role to play by encouraging others to make smart choices.
“Have the difficult conversation with friends and family in regards to impaired driving,” he said.
The same goes for driving while impaired by drugs, which can impair a person’s ability to drive just as much as alcohol.
“They don’t think it affects them, but the consequences are the same,” said Randhawa.
He said people are just as likely to face criminal charges for driving while impaired by drugs and police officers have ways to be able to determine whether someone is under the influence of drugs.
While driving over the 0.08 legal blood alcohol level is grounds for a criminal charge, Randhawa said police officers can still charge someone who is below the legal limit with impaired driving if they think they are unable to safely operate a vehicle.
Be assured, impaired driving can lead to a criminal record.
Randhawa said people don’t often consider the impact of criminal impaired driving charges on their life, their work, employment opportunities and even ability to travel across international borders.
People don’t have to exceed the legal blood alcohol level to face consequences.
Randhawa reminded drivers that anyone with alcohol levels over 0.05 can face a number of penalties, including an immediate three-day driver’s licence suspension, having their vehicle seized for three days and having to pay towing and impound costs. This is just for the first offence, penalties rise from there for second and third offences.
While RCMP pay attention for impaired drivers in the holiday season, it’s no different than any other time of year, said Turner Valley RCMP Sgt. Paulina Larrey-King.
“We are always looking for anything like that that places the public in danger,” she said. “Public safety is the first thing that we look at.”
