RCMP crackdown on unsafe drivers

Police in New Brunswick are cracking down on unsafe driving this weekend, the first long weekend of the summer.

Earlier this week, about 3,000 vehicles were stopped at roadside checks near Woodstock and between Moncton and Sackville as part of the annual Canada Road Safety Week held leading up to the Victoria Day long weekend.

Police said they were focusing on unsafe driving behaviours such as speeding, aggressive drivers, distracted drivers, as well drivers not wearing seatbelts and impaired driving.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Stéphane Caron told CBC News, over the past two years there have been too many traffic accidents in areas where the Mounties patrol.

"We had a total of 139 deaths on our highways and approximately 350 people were seriously injured," he said.

Caron said in 45 per cent of those deaths, victims weren't using seat belts, and in 40 per cent, alcohol was involved.

He said RCMP are issuing fines and that there are very few warnings this week.

"We're issuing tickets. If there's an offence taking place, there's going to be very few warnings issued, it will be mostly enforcement-driven."

Const. Rick Mooney of the Fredericton Police Force said local police will also be watching for unsafe drivers.

Besides the usual roadblocks and spot checks, he said officers will be watching for drivers using cell phones and texting.

"Some of them will be focused on distracted driving. They may even involve plain clothes officers to assist with that," Mooney said.

Earlier this month, RCMP officers in the Moncton-area dressed in plainclothes to catch distracted drivers in the act.

Officers posed as people who wanted to wash motorists' windshields but were really trying catch people who were driving while talking on the phone or texting.

At least 50 motorists were ticketed within a few hours and some of them were repeat offenders.

The minimum fine is $172.50.

Both Mooney and Caron said police will be issuing tickets for drivers caught violating safe driving laws.