Throughout the August long weekend in 2018, Saskatchewan RCMP laid 30 charges for impaired driving by alcohol.

Corporal Rob King of the Saskatchewan RCMP says with more traffic on the road over the course of the long weekend, there’s the potential for more serious collisions.

King says as a first responder, it may not be the first fatal collision you attend that may affect you but the accumulation of attending several fatal accidents.

“It starts to affect how you drive and how you view other people driving. It starts to affect maybe in the future when you have kids of your own, when you’re making decisions of whether or not they can here or there or driving.”

Impaired driving also happens to be SGI’s traffic safety spotlight for the month of August. Tyler McMurchy of SGI says they want people to enjoy themselves, although do it by planning a safe ride home whether that be taking a cab, public transit, calling a friend or taking a ride share.

Staff Sergeant Patrick Barbar of the Saskatoon Police Service says check stops will set up in the city and on highways this long weekend.

In 2018, drugs and alcohol were a factor in over 36 per cent of all fatal collisions in Saskatchewan.

People are encouraged to call 9-1-1 if you suspect someone is driving impaired.