From RCIPS

Police made a total of 55 DUI arrests for the month of December, during intensified enforcement operations.

“This is twice the number of DUIs recorded during the same period last year, and reflects the increased resources and attention that the RCIPS is paying to road safety,” said Acting Chief Inspector Everton Spence, who oversees the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit.  “Such operations are conducted year-round, but are intensified during the holiday period due to the increased drinking and number of people on the road.  Since drunk driving is a primary public safety threat, the public can expect to see continued enforcement to curb this behaviour.”

Over this past weekend, 29 December to 1 January, there were 12 arrests for DUI as the result of road enforcement operations which were a combination of proactive patrols, roadblocks, and responses to calls for service.  Below are descriptions of some of the incidents from the New Year’s weekend.

While conducting a road block on Saturday, 30 December, officers stopped a vehicle shortly after 1AM which had one of its headlights out. Upon speaking with the driver, officers had cause to suspect she was intoxicated and a roadside breath test was conducted with a result of 0.189%. The driver, a woman aged 42 of West Bay, was arrested on suspicion of DUI and later bailed.

On Monday, 1 January, shortly before 12:30AM, police responded to a report of a two-vehicle-collision on Huldah Avenue. When officers arrived, one of the vehicles involved had left the scene but was subsequently located by officers in a nearby parking lot. The driver, a man aged 39 of George Town, was arrested on suspicion of Careless Driving and DUI, with a blood alcohol content of 0.151%. No serious injuries were sustained in the collision. He was later bailed.

In another incident on Monday morning, just before 3:30AM, officers on patrol on West Bay Road observed a vehicle travelling at about twice the legal speed limit. The vehicle was stopped and the driver, a man aged 30 of Bodden Town, was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.253%, well over twice the legal limit. He was arrested on suspicion of DUI and Dangerous Driving and taken into Police custody.  He is now on Police bail.

Shortly after 4AM on Monday, 1 January, officers on patrol stopped a vehicle that had been swerving while driving on Crewe Road. The driver, a woman aged 25 of George Town, was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.144%. The woman was also unable to provide a driver’s license and initially provided a false name to police officers, after which it was determined that she is the holder of a Provisional Driver’s License. She was subsequently arrested on suspicion of DUI, Driving Without Being Accompanied, Giving False Name and Address to a Police Officer, and other related offenses.  She was later bailed.

“Over this past weekend, as during the entire holiday season, we have seen several instances of unacceptable conduct by road users. There have been attempts by some motorists to avoid paying the price for their choices by behaving dishonestly and breaking more laws,” added Acting Chief Inspector Everton Spence. “At the same time, we also note that a number of road users chose to be responsible, by having designated drivers or alternate transportation. We believe that it is because of these choices that there have been no senseless deaths on the roads over the past month. As we continue our traffic enforcement operations throughout the new year, our message remains the same: Don’t drink and drive, it is never worth the risk.

END

IMAGE: Gary/Chicago Crusade