Nunavut RCMP clamps down again on reckless drivers in Rankin Inlet

Police and municipal bylaw officials continue their efforts to keep Rankin Inlet’s road safe from speeding and impaired drivers. (FILE PHOTO)

Three Rankin Inlet women face charges of impaired driving, following a stepped-up enforcement operation by the RCMP and bylaw officers over the past weekend.

As well, a 15-year-old boy from the community now faces charges of dangerous driving and failure to stop for police.

The charges are the result of a 12-hour traffic enforcement operation from the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 14 until the following morning.

The operation is part of a recent crack-down on reckless drivers in the community of about 3,000 people.

First, at 3:15 p.m. on Friday, members of the RCMP, along with emergency services and bylaw officers, responded to an ATV collision.

“The driver of the vehicle fled the scene and was located shortly after with non-life threatening injuries,” police said in a news release.

A 21-year-old woman from Rankin Inlet now faces charges of impaired driving and failure to remain at the scene of an accident.

Then, on Friday evening, shortly before 9 p.m., police received a report from bylaw officers, as well as numerous public complaints, about a person on an ATV driving dangerously around the community.

A 15-year-old boy now faces charges of dangerous driving and failing to stop for police, the RCMP said.

In the early morning of Saturday, Rankin Inlet RCMP also stopped two separate vehicles for driving “erratically.” Both drivers were impaired and arrested on scene, police said.

Two women, 25 and 29, now face charges of impaired driving.

All four charged last weekend are scheduled to appear Dec. 10 in the Nunavut Court of Justice in Rankin Inlet.

The takeaway from the police: “The Rankin Inlet RCMP would like to remind drivers that speeding or driving a motor vehicle while impaired are contributing causes to serious and fatal crashes.”

Throughout Canada, the maximum legal blood alcohol concentration for drivers is 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, or 0.08. Driving with blood alcohol concentrations over 0.08 is a criminal offence.

If you’re curious to learn how many drinks can push you over that limit, you can use this online calculator.