Quebec police arrest 46 for drunk driving in single day, 150 tickets for no winter tires

Quebec police (SQ) arrested dozens in a single day in an operation aimed at those who get behind the wheel while impaired. (Pexels)

Quebec police (SQ) officers were out pulling over hundreds of vehicles to combat impaired driving and to check that drivers installed proper winter tires.

The SQ said officers conducted over 300 roadside checks and arrested 46 people for impaired driving during the one-day operation on Dec. 12.

In addition, over 150 tickets were handed out to drivers whose vehicles did not have proper winter tires.

“All our partners will continue to intervene throughout the holiday season,” the SQ said in a news release.

The operation follows a two-day operation early in December in Montreal, where SPVM officers ticketed 292 drivers for not changing their tires, in addition to 368 fines for other infractions.

The SQ said drug or alcohol impaired-driving is one of the leading causes of road fatalities.

“Between 2018 and 2022, on average, alcohol was involved in 25 per cent of fatal collisions and 15 per cent of serious injury collisions,” the SQ said. “What's more, the practice of estimating one's own alcohol level before getting behind the wheel presents significant risks and should therefore be avoided. The effect of a single drink should never be underestimated. When you drink or take drugs, you're not driving.”