Tweeting checkstop locations could be fatal: Calgary police

Calgary police saydrivers whopostlocations of roadsidecheckstops onTwitter are putting lives at risk.

"What they're essentially doing is helping the impaired drivers," saidStaff Sgt.Paul Stacey.

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While using social media to share where police have set up is not illegal, Stacey says it deliberately puts everyone on the road in harm's way.

"It could be theirfamily, it could be them that gets hit by an impaired driver."

Tracy Franklin frequently accompaniespolice at checkstops as a volunteer, and is also the past president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving(MADD). She says it'sirresponsibleof people to tweet out the locations.

"They've helped somebody that is impaired get away and is going to go on and kill one, two, three or five people,"said Franklin."Police are out there to get impaired drivers off the road to make it safer."

The number of checkstops increases over the holidays in lockstep with parties and eventswhere alcohol flows.

Franklin says instead of avoiding getting caught, drivers should focus on getting home safely by planning ahead.

"Stay where you're at, get a hotel, take the bus, have a designated driver," she suggests.