The Calgary Police Service (CPS) is urging everyone in the Calgary community to never drive impaired as the holidays approach and fatal collision numbers continue to grow.
As of Dec. 3, impairment played a factor in at least five of the 35 fatal collisions in Calgary thus far in 2025.
“We know this is a time of year with a lot of parties and socialization, which can often include drinking and using cannabis. We want everyone to enjoy the holiday season, all we are asking for our communities is they do so safely,” said Staff Sgt. Andy Woodward of the CPS Traffic Unit.
While police Checkstops happen year-round, a CPS-issued release says Calgarians can expect an increase in impaired-driving pullovers this month, all in hopes of keeping roads safer.
“Police can stop drivers at random and conduct roadside test for alcohol or drugs, even without suspicion of impairment. People who drive impaired risk criminal charges and loss of their driver’s licence,” the release reads.
While numbers are subject to change based on toxicology report processing timelines, fatal collisions have increased year-over-year dating back to four years, with 2025’s 35 fatal collisions being six higher then 2024 and more than 20 collisions higher then 2021.
Despite the lower total, drugs and/or alcohol were involved in more than half the fatal collisions in 2021. To date, drugs and/or alcohol have been involved in five of 2025’s fatal collisions.
“Every impaired driving collision is a preventable one and every life lost is a tragedy we work tirelessly to avoid. While the numbers for impairment may not seem high, behind every fatality is a loved one who did not come home and a first responder had to deliver heartbreaking news devastating a family,” Woodward said.
“As we approach the holiday season, a time meant for joy, family and togetherness, many families will be spending their time with a hole in their lives that can never be filled. We want to remind everyone that road safety is a shared responsibility. We all have a part to play in educating our friends and family and reminding them that choosing to drive sober or helping someone else make that choice can mean the difference between someone coming home safely or not at all.”
The 2170 Impaired Immediate Roadside Sanctions this year are relatively consistent with four year averages.
The CPS urges Calgarians to never drive impaired and to make arrangements prior to consuming cannabis or drinking alcohol. Arrangements include having a designated driver, calling a taxi, rideshare or a driver’s alternative service, take public transit or stay the night
Woodward said that generally, collisions numbers are steady year round, but the holidays are a good time to remind people of the dangers impaired driving presents.
“Everybody looks at December as a holiday season, we’ve got parties going on. We noticed Christmas seems to get longer and longer and longer. But we also get a lot of drunk driving again in the summer period as well, when they’ve got longer nights and people drinking a lot more in the summer as well,” he said.
“December is highlighted as a month where everybody seems to want to go out and party.”
