Police continue with Operation Christmas

NEW GLASGOW - Police have continued to target impaired drivers since the first checkpoint for Operation Christmas was set up at the corner of East River Road and Park Street in mid-December.
Police and RCMP now have various checkpoints throughout the county for the annual campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving.
Const. Ken MacDonald of the New Glasgow police estimates more than 3,000 drivers have been stopped, and that number will keep rising as Operation Christmas will continue into the new year, until Jan. 7.
"So far, we have laid a couple of drinking and driving charges," said MacDonald.
Corporal Glen Murphy of RCMP Eastern Traffic Services said their traffic unit has laid one impaired driving charge since Operation Christmas kicked off. They've also handed out a few 24-hour suspensions, whereby drivers licences are suspended for one day if a person's blood alcohol level is between .05 and .08.
MacDonald and Murphy both say the fact that few impaired driving charges have been laid seems to indicate the message not to drink and drive is getting through to some people.
"Are we helping to persuade people not to drink and drive?" MacDonald said.
"I would say 'yes' because the word is getting out there. People are thinking twice (before getting behind the wheel.)"
However, they are quick to point out that drinking and driving remains an issue in Pictou County.
"We know people are still out there drinking and driving, hoping they won't get caught," Murphy said. This year, "We got complaints on a weekly basis regarding impaired driving."
Impaired driving is one of the leading contributing factors in fatal and serious collisions in the province. There were 21 collisions involving drivers who were impaired in Nova Scotia over the first 11 months of 2007, resulting in 24 fatalities.
It's difficult to measure the success of a campaign like Operation Christmas, says Murphy, "(But) if we can get through this season without a crash that's caused by or involves an impaired driver, it would be considered successful."