Drunk driving charges laid in 1st half-hour of holiday checkstops

Within 30 minutes of setting up their first holiday checkstop on Friday, Whitehorse policeofficers laid two drunkdriving-related charges.

"Within the first 30minutes we had one gentleman refuse a roadside screening device and another female was charged with impaired driving and a 24-hour driving suspension," said Cpl. Shawn Pollard, director of Traffic Services at M Division.

Over the rest of the checkstopsin Whitehorse onSaturday and Sunday by Traffic Services andWhitehorse auxiliary officers, two more people were charged with impaired driving. Police say one of those drivers had a blood alcohol level almost three times the legal limit.

Two other people were issued 24-hour licence suspensions.

Yukon RCMP say commanding officer Peter Clark will be working at thecheckstops this Friday, to mark National Impaired Driving EnforcementDay.