The Steinbach RCMP this month have been clamping down on dangerous driving. A series of targeted patrols were conducted over the course of four days, and officers stopped 51 motorists disregarding common rules of the road.

“It is very disconcerting to continue to see these 'at-risk' driving behaviours,” says Staff Sergeant Harold Laninga who notes the purpose of the initiative was to stop, reprimand, and ticket offenders.

The targeted patrols were conducted on October 6, October 16, October 17, and October 26.

On those days, police observed a total of eight drivers who were not wearing their seatbelts, seven drivers who failed to stop at stop signs, three drivers without their vehicle registration, and one driver without a valid driver’s licence. Meanwhile, during that same time period, they issued a total of 27 tickets to individuals who were caught used their cell phones while driving.

Motorists are reminded that the penalty for texting while driving three-day licence suspension for a first offence and a seven-day suspension for subsequent offences. Upon conviction, they also receive a $672 fine and move five levels down the Driver Safety Rating (DSR) scale.

Laninga hopes the increased presence of RCMP Traffic Services make drivers in the Steinbach area pay more attention to their bad habits