Police officers were busy during the provinces Holiday Checkstop Program, with numbers released Wednesday showing just how much work was put in to keep roadways safe for the holidays.

The RCMP, along with the Winnipeg Police Service, Manitoba Public Insurance and MADD, announced the start of the annual Holiday Checkstop Program on December 1, 2023, which ran until January 1, 2024.

The initiative saw countless officers conducting check stops and regular traffic patrols throughout the City of Winnipeg and the Province of Manitoba. 

These are the results of this year’s program.

RCMP -

  • 5,223 vehicles checked
  • 853 Provincial Offences Act notices issued
  • 3,436 Mandatory Alcohol Screenings administered
  • 46 Criminal Code alcohol-impaired charges
  • 2 Criminal Code drug-impaired charges
  • 4 Criminal Code failure or refusal to comply with impaired charges
  • 88 alcohol immediate roadside prohibitions
  • 12 drug immediate roadside prohibitions
  • 290mg% was the highest blood alcohol content reported

Winnipeg Police Service -

  • 4,023 vehicles checked
  • 111 Provincial Offences Act notices issued
  • 2,050 Mandatory Alcohol Screenings administered
  • 13 Criminal Code alcohol-impaired charges
  • 11 Criminal Code failure or refusal to comply impaired charges
  • 62 alcohol immediate roadside prohibitions
  • 5 drug immediate roadside prohibitions
  • 260mg% was the highest blood alcohol content reported

“It’s clear from these results that many people chose to disregard our message,” says Inspector Michael Gagliardi, Officer in Charge of RCMP Traffic Services. “We need to further drive that message home, that the number of collisions, the number of fatalities, and the number of people truly affected by impaired driving is just too high.”