More than 250 tickets issued to Cape Breton drivers over Thanksgiving

BYLINE: With files from Chris Connors. (photo) CBP-26102023-Route4-Speeding-Speed-ED.jpg *sent to Saxo, web with updated cutline that should start with “In this file photo from Oct. 2023 … “ (copy)Article contentCape Breton police issued more than 250 summary offence tickets over Thanksgiving weekend and more than half were for aggressive driving.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentIn total there were 262 fines issued to drivers on Cape Breton Island by RCMP and the Cape Breton Regional Police Service. There were also three drivers charged criminally with drinking and driving.Article contentArticle contentRCMP issued 155 tickets during Operation Impact, a nationwide road safety campaign done by the Canadian Association of Police Chiefs, which ran this year from Oct. 10-13.Article contentArticle contentCape Breton Regional Police issued 107 tickets during that same time frame, the majority of which were for offences related to not having a valid licence up to date inspection or proper paperwork.Article contentFor the RCMP, the majority of the fines (150) issued in Cape Breton were for aggressive driving. There were three seatbelt offences and two distracted driving offences. There were also two criminal code violations: one impaired driving and one roadside provincial suspension for alcohol use.Article contentCape Breton Regional Police caught and charged two people with impaired driving over the weekend campaign, which resulted in 147 tickets in 2024.Article contentOf the 107 summary offence fines issued in 2025 by Cape Breton Regional Police:Article content64 were for not having a valid license, registration, insurance and/or inspection38 were for speedingOne was for using a cell phone while drivingOne was for failing to stop at a stop signOne was for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalkOne was for not wearing a seatbeltOne was for tinted windowsArticle contentArticle contentArticle contentCHECKPOINTS AND TARGETED ENFORCEMENTArticle contentPolice in both departments conducted checkpoints and targeted enforcement during the Thanksgiving weekend road safety campaign.Article contentThe Nova Scotia RCMP said 879 vehicles were checked at 17 checkpoints in Cape Breton. There were seven checkpoints in the Eskasoni detachment area and seven in the St. Peter’s detachment area. In the Baddeck area, there were two and there was one in the Inverness, Cheticamp, Port Hawkesbury and We’koqma’q areas.Article contentIn Eskasoni, the second-highest number of vehicles were checked and the least number of fines were issued: two for seatbelt infractions and one for aggressive driving. There were no criminal code charges.Article contentSt. Peter’s also had seven checkpoints which resulted in 228 vehicles inspected and two distracted driving fines issued.Article contentThere were no checkpoints in the RCMP Northeast Division, which had 88 aggressive driving fines issued, the highest in all the Cape Breton detachments.