Quebec police arrest 46 drunk drivers in single day, 150 ticketed for no winter tires

 Quebec provincial police. Image credit Facebook public photo

Montreal/CMEDIA: Over hundreds of Quebec vehicles were reportedly pulled out by Quebec police (SQ) officers to combat impaired driving and to check that drivers installed proper winter tires.

Over 300 roadside checks were conducted by the SQ officers during the one-day operation on Dec. 12. and arrested 46 people for impaired driving and  also handed out 150 tickets to drivers whose vehicles did not have proper winter tires.

“All our partners will continue to intervene throughout the holiday season,” the SQ said in a news release.

The operation follows a two-day operation early in December in Montreal, where SPVM officers ticketed 292 drivers for not changing their tires, in addition to 368 fines for other infractions.

One of the leading causes of road fatalities is drug or alcohol impaired-driving, the SQ said.

“Between 2018 and 2022, on average, alcohol was involved in 25 per cent of fatal collisions and 15 per cent of serious injury collisions,” the SQ said.

“What’s more, the practice of estimating one’s own alcohol level before getting behind the wheel presents significant risks and should therefore be avoided. The effect of a single drink should never be underestimated. When you drink or take drugs, you’re not driving,“ the SQ said.