Motorists can expect to see increased police presence this weekend as the result of Operation Impact.

That, according to Steinbach RCMP Staff Sergeant Harold Laninga who says the goal of Operation Impact is to cut down on risky driving behaviours. This is a special initiative, focusing on safe rcmp11driving practices at a time when the public will be traveling in great numbers. Operation Impact runs October 9th to 12th.

Laninga says police will be looking for impaired drivers and motorists using cell phones, speeding or committing traffic offenses.

"All those type of activities are what we would consider risky behaviours," says Laninga. "They are causing accidents and in some instances unfortunately are proving to be fatal and those are the offenses that we will be targeting."

Laninga says motorists can expect to see more RCMP on streets and highways this Thanksgiving weekend and can also anticipate checkstops.

He notes so far this year, his detachment has written 286 tickets for intersection related offenses.

"That to me is an astronomical number," says Laninga. "I still see that people aren't necessarily getting the message that a stop sign means stop, you don't just slow down, it means stop."

Laninga adds there have been 26 impaired driving charges, which is down from the same period one year ago.