Drinking tops cannabis for impaired drivers during holiday checkstops

Winnipeg police stopped more than 7,500 vehicles and laid 41 impaired driving charges in the 2018 festive checkstop season, according to final results released Wednesday.

A police news release says the annual program, which ran throughout December and endedNew Year's Day, saw7,667 vehicles stopped. Among the impaired driving charges, the release says two were for impairment from drugs. Four drivers tested positive for cannabis impairment but those charges haven't yet been laid.

Officers in the program administered more than 400 roadside breath tests for alcohol, which resulted in 40 warnings and eight failures.

Charges for cannabis can't be laid until toxicology analysis is finished,the spokesperson said. This year was the first the program has incorporated the oral fluid device.

The average age of drivers charged was 38, police said. The youngest was 16 and the oldest was 74, including 26 male and 15 female drivers.

Here are the final checkstop results for 2018:

• 7,667 cars stopped.
• 424 roadside breath tests administered, resulting in 40 warnings and eight fails.
• 41 impaired driving related charges, including two drug impaired driving charges.
• 4 cannabis positive oral fluid device tests.
• 11 other criminal arrests.
• 242 Provincial Offence Act tickets.