Glenmore trail (both directions) closed due to fatal crash - Reopened

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Canehdianman

Its a big city. I think CPS probably has a check stop per day...

It's less than that.

[llwhiteoutll]

Enforcement of impaired driving is not only done through static checkstops. Just because you didn't go though one with the bus doesn't mean the cips aren't out 24/7/365 checking for impaired drivers.

Not to mention Calgary has something like 16,000 lane kilometers of road. Not too hard to not drive through a static Checkstop

[heep223]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Also, for those who don't hit checkstops it may be a driving time thing. I believe most checkstops start around 8pm. As someone who's done lots of driving after 8pm I've hit a significant number. About three a year.

Never hit a checkstop in 15 years I've been driving here.

That said, I'm usually too busy drinking at that time to be driving anywhere.

[Dan02]

I hadn't been through a checkstop in a couple years until a I mentioned that a few months ago, since then 3 all between 10 and 2am I believe, 16th ave, Macleod Tr and Bowness road.

[polak]

Funny Ive lost count of all the checkstops Ive seen. Went through one once with 5 people in the backseat of a mazda 6 and got waved through. Luckiest thing ever.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Wait what? I thought it told them who was registered to the vehicle and if there's anything outstanding? I got pulled over for an expired license a few years ago and he directly stated that he ran my plates and saw this.

It does, but only for the registered owner of the plate, and possibly if something's tagged to the vehicle. If the RO isn't driving, running the plate won't tell you anything about the status of the driver's license.

[ken0042]

The challenge here is balancing "looking out for drunks and other road hazards" and being considered a cash grab.

You could easily step up enforcement of minor traffic issues, which would result in a lot more impaired drivers being caught. Then you have the police being shown in a negative light; giving tickets for 10 km over, no signal, etc. Because you cannot have increased enforcement without the money from tickets to pay for that increased enforcement.

[polak]

If the only way to catch impaired drivers is to pull them over for nonsense, then are they really impaired?

[Sluggo]

When I saw the aftermath of this accident on the news it reminded me of a accident I saw on Memorial 3 years ago. I did not see the accident and when I drove by there was a city bus in front of me pulling over so I assumed he called it in but luckily it was 2 pickups that hit head on and their was no fatalities. I found out later a drunk driver drove the wrong way down the road and caused the accident.

Two years later a buddy of mine told the cab driver to pull over because another buddy was about to be sick he pulled over at nearly the exact spot on Memorial going the opposite direction I went out to comfort my friend while he was puking his guts out I could see the spot of that wreck 2 years ago and nearly broke down. We made the adult choice.

[T@T]

I'm one of I would assume of a vary few to have actually "ran" a checkstop and got away with it. Year was 1983, coming home from an Xmas party down town hammered, checkstop was eastbound Memorial Dr at the zoo.

Long story short,they sent a stupid van after me and it crashed in the construction zone on the new memorial bridge over Deerfoot tr. I had very fast sports car and obviously they didn't get my plate # as I didn't get a visit at my door.

My lesson? scared the crap out of me and I never drove drunk again.

[OMG!WTF!]

A couple people blew off the good friday check stop on 11th ave where you go under the ctrain bridge and go on to crowchild or bow trail. I was coming down bow trail on to 11th and two people just did a 180 onto the crowchild ramp. I thought the line up was an accident so I almost bailed out with them but then I saw it was a check stop. Very surprised there were no cops waiting.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by T@T

I'm one of I would assume of a vary few to have actually "ran" a checkstop and got away with it. Year was 1983, coming home from an Xmas party down town hammered, checkstop was eastbound Memorial Dr at the zoo.

Long story short,they sent a stupid van after me and it crashed in the construction zone on the new memorial bridge over Deerfoot tr. I had very fast sports car and obviously they didn't get my plate # as I didn't get a visit at my door.

My lesson? scared the crap out of me and I never drove drunk again.

You should never tell this story to anyone you want to respect you. While it may have occurred in your youth it shows a recklessness that would preclude many from trusting you.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I haven't been through a Check Stop in a few years, but as I recall they were a total joke when I did. In fact I never once even got my license checked, and I went through 3 or 4 of them. Just a quick "Where have you been tonight/Have you been drinking?", they flash the orange light in your car and that was that. I could have had a suspended license or an outstanding warrant for murder and they wouldn't have known. Maybe things have changed though.

[burn_this_city]

The legality of checkstops means they can't ask you for that stuff. They don't have probable cause when they stop you to begin with.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I haven't been through a Check Stop in a few years, but as I recall they were a total joke when I did. In fact I never once even got my license checked, and I went through 3 or 4 of them. Just a quick "Where have you been tonight/Have you been drinking?", they flash the orange light in your car and that was that. I could have had a suspended license or an outstanding warrant for murder and they wouldn't have known. Maybe things have changed though.

Do you know how long it would take to check everyone's registration and license? Those checkstops get backed up as is, now imagine you make each stop 5 minutes instead of 20 seconds. Good luck.

They're just stopping for a quick chat to see if they can tell you've been drinking or admit to it to establish probable cause for a blow.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Reaper

You should never tell this story to anyone you want to respect you. While it may have occurred in your youth it shows a recklessness that would preclude many from trusting you.

Then you should be be prepared to distrust everyone over the age of 50. I'm in my 40s and have never driven impaired. But knowing people my parents' generation, or even a few years older than me, drinking and driving was routine back in '83. As in a dozen people would pile out of a party or a bar and it wouldn't even occur to anyone to call a cab. Doesn't make it right. Just pointing out that the standard you're setting puts virtually everyone who drank before about 1986 in the 'bad person' category.

[burn_this_city]

I think its the fleeing from the police part more than the drinking and driving. Sure our parents drove drunk, but they weren't doing the duke boys routine when chased by the cops.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Then you should be be prepared to distrust everyone over the age of 50. I'm in my 40s and have never driven impaired. But knowing people my parents' generation, or even a few years older than me, drinking and driving was routine back in '83. As in a dozen people would pile out of a party or a bar and it wouldn't even occur to anyone to call a cab. Doesn't make it right. Just pointing out that the standard you're setting puts virtually everyone who drank before about 1986 in the 'bad person' category.

You're reading into what I said. I didn't say I distrust anyone who has every drank and driven. I realize that people can make terrible mistakes and still be good people. I'm just saying that people tend to write off those that drink & drive and want nothing to do with them. That is a bell that can't be unrung. There is no recovery from that. I've seen it happen before. There is no "we'll just forget about the selfish thing you did that endangered everyone on the road with you." Some skeletons have to stay hidden. It's not about the person with the skeletons; it's about how the people react when they find them.

For what it's worth, I am also in my forties and I am more disturbed by stories of younger people drinking & driving than I am about older people doing it because they grew up in a time where many more did it.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I think its the fleeing from the police part more than the drinking and driving. Sure our parents drove drunk, but they weren't doing the duke boys routine when chased by the cops.

I don't know, my uncles and my dad have the best stories about outrunning cops in the 60s. A cop even told my dad he couldn't outrun a bullet. I'd hate to get into trouble nowadays for stuff like that, but back then even running from the cops doesn't seem as big time as it does now.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I haven't been through a Check Stop in a few years, but as I recall they were a total joke when I did. In fact I never once even got my license checked, and I went through 3 or 4 of them. Just a quick "Where have you been tonight/Have you been drinking?", they flash the orange light in your car and that was that. I could have had a suspended license or an outstanding warrant for murder and they wouldn't have known. Maybe things have changed though.

Haha, I think you're confused as to what a checkstop is. They're just for looking for impaired drivers, not to catch anyone with outstanding anything.

They can't legally just pull over all traffic and start seeing if you're on the up and up, that's against our rights in a major way. In fact some would argue that even checking all traffic for impaired drivers is against our rights, but it's one of those ones that no one wants to really get into for fear of being against the curbing of drunk driving.