It's December, the holidays are near, and with that comes increased police checkstops.

Portage la Prairie RCMP will begin the 2016 Holiday Checkstop program this weekend, and it will continue throughout the month.

"Obviously over the holidays it's celebration time, and there's a lot more people travelling to socials, parties and to see family," says RCMP Sgt. Brian Brewer. "There's a lot more traffic out there, and we just want to keep people aware that we're out there and hopefully they'll slow down. (We're also) going to make sure their driving habits are appropriate to keep everybody safe."

A typical interaction with police at a Checkstop will include a basic inspection of license and registration and signs intoxication, Brewer says. "Then they'll be on their way shortly."

The Portage la Prairie RCMP's Holiday Checkstop launch is part of a province-wide initiative by police. An RCMP release says there have been 105 fatalities to date on provincial roadways in 2016. There was 80 in 2015.

"We are seeing disturbing driving behaviours that are endangering the lives of Manitobans," says RCMP D Division Commanding Officer Scott Kolody. "Of tremendous concern is people drinking and then driving. But we also see texting and driving, speeding and lack of seatbelt use."

The Checkstop campaign begins today and will run until January 2, 2017.