20 impaired drivers found by Winnipeg Police during week one of checkstop program
Posted December 10, 2025 7:33 pm.
The Winnipeg police service has released week one numbers from their annual holiday check stop program, with 613 drivers stopped in the first week, 20 of them were found under the influence of drugs or alcohol. A number the WPS says is too high.
“We plead and ask everyone to arrange for a safe ride, to not get behind the wheel, to plan ahead,” said Cst. Alex Peterson, the impaired driving countermeasures coordinator with the Winnipeg Police Service.
In total, 11 drivers registered a warning, seven failed drug screening tests, one was charged with criminal impaired driving, and one immediate roadside prohibition.
“I would say one impaired driver is one too many, because we have to remember, any impaired driver has a very high potential for causing a collision, causing harm, and the worst case, causing a fatality,” said Cst. Peterson.
Elisha Dacey with Operation Red Nose says the organization is doing what it can to keep impaired driving as low as possible. Now in their 30th year, they hope to complete over 1,100 rides this holiday season, which would be on par with last year.
What makes Operation Red Nose unique is the fact that you don’t have to abandon your vehicle to get home safely.
“There’s no reason really to get in behind the wheel of a vehicle when you’re impaired,” said Dacey.
“That’s actually a really big reason why some people still get behind the wheel of their car before driving home, even if they’ve had a few. Operation Red Nose is really cool in that we will come and get you and your vehicle, and we’ll make sure that both of you get home safe.“
Cst. Peterson said, “We encourage, and we ask everyone to take advantage of services such as Operation Red Nose, to plan ahead and to not drive impaired.”
Operation Red Nose is in need of volunteers, with plans to operate on weekends until the end of the month, along with Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
The WPS ride check program will also run throughout December and into New Year’s Eve.
