Along with impaired driving, the SHP’s priorities include speed, distracted driving and commercial vehicle safety enforcement. (File photo provided by Alberta Sheriffs)

By Joel Mendelson

Over 1,200 Impaired Drivers

Alberta Sheriffs report boosted highway safety in 2023

Jan 19, 2024 | 5:24 PM

The Alberta Sheriffs Highway Patrol (SHP) has reported that it removed more than 1,200 impaired drivers from the roads in 2023.

The SHP was granted the authority to investigate impaired drivers and other offences in 2021. Since then, it has caught nearly 4,000 impaired drivers on provincial highways.

Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, said, “Impaired driving is considered the leading criminal cause of death in Canada.”

He continued, “By empowering the Sheriff Highway Patrol to take impaired drivers off our highways, Alberta’s government is helping make our roads safer for everyone who uses them.”

Ellis added. “The Sheriff Highway Patrol is providing an outstanding example of what dedicated officers can achieve when they’re given the right tools for the job. I would like to thank the Alberta Sheriffs for their hard work in ensuring we all get home safe.”

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Along with impaired driving, the SHP’s priorities include speed, distracted driving and commercial vehicle safety enforcement. In 2023, SHP issued nearly 60,000 tickets related to these violations.

From December 2023 until June 2024, the Alberta Sheriffs will complete training for three SHP recruit classes, resulting in 74 new officers ready for deployment. Officials say another class of 30 is expected to begin in fall 2024.

Bob Andrews, acting chief of the Alberta Sheriffs said, “I commend members of the Sheriff Highway Patrol for the commitment and focus they’ve shown toward preventing and detecting impaired driving, their efforts have surely saved lives.”

He continued, “The work they do every day across our province helps ensure people reach their destination safely.”

Additionally, the SHP regularly conducts commercial vehicle inspections as well. In 2023, it conducted over 12,000 inspections on regulated commercial vehicles, including trucks weighing over 4,500 kilograms, motor coaches and school buses.

In these stops, SHP members found out-of-service violations in over 4,700 cases (39 per cent). Out-of-service violations stem from mechanical faults which require immediate attention.

Of the 1,217 impaired drivers who were caught by SHP in 2023, 50 were commercial drivers who were exceeding Alberta’s zero-tolerance standards for drug and alcohol use while driving commercial vehicles.

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