Camrose Police Service issued Immediate Roadside Sanctions to six drivers during a summer enforcement push that saw extra roadside checks and sobriety tests across the central Alberta city.
According to the Camrose Police Service, officers handed out Immediate Roadside Sanctions to drivers who failed roadside breath tests between May and June 2026. Those caught included a 57-year-old man in late May, a 66-year-old woman and a motorcyclist in early June, plus several others later in the month.
The crackdown was part of a broader provincial traffic safety focus, with police reminding residents to “leave the keys behind” rather than risk getting behind the wheel after drinking. Under Alberta’s Immediate Roadside Sanctions program, impaired drivers face immediate penalties without needing a criminal charge. A first-time fail can mean a 90-day licence suspension, a 12-month further suspension, a 30-day vehicle seizure, and a $1,000 fine plus surcharges.
Camrose Police, a municipal force of 31 sworn officers and 62 total personnel, has been stepping up its impaired driving enforcement. The 2024 Camrose Police Annual Report shows officers conducted 1,173 mandatory alcohol screening tests last year and saw a 12 per cent drop in impaired driving contraventions, with zero fatal collisions in the city.
Nationally, impaired driving remains a serious concern. MADD Canada reports that in 2021, police laid about 78,480 charges and short-term suspensions, averaging nine per hour. In Canada, one in four fatal crashes involves an impaired driver, according to Alberta RCMP. Sgt. Darrin Turnbull of Alberta RCMP Traffic has said impaired driving is a major public safety threat that extends beyond cars to motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and boats.
