Police crackdown on impaired drivers
Posted July 4, 2017 2:45 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Vancouver (NEWS 1130) – The Vancouver Police Department reports 27 people were taken off the road as part of its CounterAttack launch this weekend.
According to a release, another five people were investigated for driving under the influence after officers witnessed “erratic driving behaviour”.
The VPD says crashes involving impaired driving claim an average of 66 lives a year in BC, and a little over 40 percent of those deaths happen between the summer months of June and September.
The summer CounterAttack campaign is done in conjunction with ICBC, which adds an average of two people are killed on Canada Day alone according to its most recent data.
Meantime, the Surrey RCMP report officers pulled over about 1,000 cars earlier during an overnight, early morning blitz this past Sunday and Monday.
Some drivers were taken off the road because of impairment, resulting in two impounded cars and 21 violation tickets for other offences.
“By the time we finished up our tally, we had seven full-fledged impaired [drivers] or immediate roadside prohibitions, three that were three-day immediate roadside prohibitions, one 24-hour and two 12-hour ones,” explains Corporal Jose Oliveira.
Oliveira says it’s surprising that people still think it’s acceptable to get behind the wheel after they’ve had too much to drink. “It’s surprising with some people that they don’t realize how impaired they really are and they choose to get behind the wheel and actually drive.”
He explains most of the drivers who got in trouble this weekend were in their late teens or early 20s. One driver reportedly also had their ‘N’.
Police ask that you safely call 911 if you suspect seeing an impaired driver on the road. Always plan ahead for a safe ride home, whether that be by calling a taxi, having a designated driver, or by taking transit.
