RCMP say they’ll have checkpoints and an increased presence to keep you safe throughout New Year’s celebrations.
Morgan MacPherson, community policing officer, says things have gotten better in recent years, but there’s generally a couple incidents.
He says it’s important to enjoy your time, but safety is the priority.
MacPherson tells The Hawk a recent increase in drug-impaired driving charges gives them more to think about.
“It’s been a growing issue for the past number of years,” he says. “With legislation that’s coming up, it will probably continue to be one of those issues that will be talked about; it always has been a priority for the RCMP and will continue to be.”
MacPherson says they want to ensure the public the highways are safe; they have members trained to intoxication by drug.
He says planning ahead is critical.
“Make plans ahead of time as far as if you’re going to have a designated driver or if you’re going to be getting home by cab,” he says. “it’s much easier to make these plans in advance- once the night gets rolling, we tend to forget about those types of plans that we need to make.”
MacPherson says if you’re driving, they’re asking you to adjust your speed depending on road conditions.