A police unit cracking down on impaired driving in Southwest Nova Scotia was surprised to find their biggest problem was people driving without a license.
The Integrated Impaired Driving Enforcement Unit celebrated its one-year anniversary in 2008 after setting up 302 checkpoints and stopping an estimated 44,612 vehicles.
About 608 drivers were tested with roadside screening devices. Of those, 164 were immediately suspended for 24 hours, with seven suspended for a three-month period.
Police charged 119 drivers with impaired driving and more than 200 vehicles were towed for at least 24 hours.
But officers were surprised to find that the majority of offences involved people driving without a license. There were 282 drivers stopped who either did not have a license or whose license was suspended.
There were also 20 drivers tested for drugs but only three were charged.
The unit consists of four RCMP officers and one member each from the Bridgewater and Kentville police forces.
