The Corman Park Police Service (CPPS) has signed on to a campaign aimed at reducing the number of alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers on the road.
The campaign already includes the Saskatoon Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Saskatoon RCMP and Warman RCMP detachments, and the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS).
Signs bearing the message: ‘Impaired driver caught here!’ are now being posted in locations throughout the RM of Corman Park where CPPS officers pull over and arrest impaired motorists.
“When a sign goes up in your neighbourhood or on the side of a road you drive down every day, that makes it real,” said CPPS Sergeant Sheldon Hamm. “What generally happens is that the police arrest an impaired driver, and then after everyone departs the scene, it’s like it never happened.
“With a sign at that location, it’s a very clear message to everyone that something serious did happen there.”
Hamm said the signs are also a reminder that impaired driving occurs not just on city streets, but also on major highways and rural back roads.
“It’s still a very serious problem,” said Hamm. “Police agencies treat it as a high priority.”
Similar campaigns are currently underway in Estevan, Regina and Prince Albert. Since last July, approximately 200 locations in Saskatoon have been marked with one of these signs. Each sign generally stays in a location for about two weeks. The idea originated with a MADD volunteer in Estevan, who began putting signs out on her own initiative. Shortly afterward, the Estevan Police Service came on board and SGI endorsed the campaign by providing funding for the signs.
The CPPS and Saskatoon MADD chapter kicked off the launch of the sign campaign in Corman Park on Friday, May 21, the beginning of the Victoria Day long weekend.
According to Hamm, roadside checkstops were set up by the RCMP, SPS and CPPS at various times and locations throughout the three-day weekend.
During those checkstops, two drivers were arrested and charged with impaired driving for having blood alcohol levels over .08. An additional 10 drivers were given 72-hour suspensions for having blood alcohol levels just below the .08 legal limit or testing positive for cannabis.
Hamm noted that during the CPPS high-visibility checkstop on Monday, May 24 on Highway 11 near the intersection with Wanuskewin Road, a total of 300 vehicles were stopped. One of the two arrests for impaired driving was at that site.
The other drivers were rewarded for obeying the law. MADD volunteers handed out gift certificates to those motorists, and also related their own stories of personal tragedy resulting from the actions of impaired drivers.
The “positive reinforcement” goes a long way toward educating the public, said Hamm.
He noted that while police had interactions with 300 vehicles at the Highway 11 checkstop, hundreds of other vehicles that passed by without being stopped also received a visual reminder.
“Just seeing the presence of the police on the road, and knowing why we’re there, gets a message across as well,” said Hamm.
The high-visibility checkstop was funded by SGI and is part of a year-long pilot project.
Hamm noted the timing of the sign campaign kickoff is appropriate, since high school graduation parties are on the horizon.
“First off, I want to say I’m very supportive of ‘dry grad’ parties,” said Hamm. “A dry grad celebration eliminates any possibility of drinking and driving.
“But if people make the choice to drink, then they also need to plan ahead. Have a designated driver, call parents, or a taxi or ride-share. There are plenty of options out there.
“They should just make sure they have a safe ride home.”
Hamm noted that as the province moves increasingly down the post-COVID-19 ‘re-opening’ road, people are able to socialize more freely.
“But along with that freedom comes responsibility,” he said. “It’s a simple message. Don’t drink and drive.”
CPPS officers have been trained in the use of the SoToxa device for detecting the presence of cannabis and cocaine in drivers’ systems, but the police agency is still waiting to receive its first device, said Hamm.