December is CounterAttack Impaired Driving month in BC

B.C., BC Highway Patrol

2021-12-02 09:00 PST

Impaired driving enforcement is a national priority and BC Highway Patrol and its partners support this priority by increasing enforcement efforts across the Province to stop impaired drivers this holiday season.

Wednesday, December 1, 2021 marks the start of the provincial, month-long CounterAttack impaired driving campaign which includes the National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day held on Saturday, December 4, 2021. BC Highway Patrol units and RCMP detachments across the province will be implementing their respective enforcement plans on various dates throughout the month and motorists can expect to see a heightened police presence targeting impaired drivers during December and beyond.

prescription medication, cannabis, non-prescription drugs and alcohol

According to provincial statistics, an average of 65 people die each year in collisions where alcohol, drugs or medication is involved (5 year average from 2016 to 2020), making impaired driving fatalities one of the leading causes of death on our provincial roadways. Impaired driving, defined as driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, is entirely preventable yet it continues to happen with devastating consequences. Police will be using every resource at their disposal to remove impaired drivers from the road including the use of Standardized Field Sobriety Testing and specially trained Drug Recognition Experts. Police are also fully prepared to enforce the federal Cannabis Act and BC’s Cannabis Control and Licensing Act.

Poor decisions can have tragic consequences for you and others, says Chief Superintendent Holly Turton, the Officer in Charge of BC Highway Patrol. Please make alternate arrangements if you plan to consume anything that impairs your ability to drive. By finding alternative ways home such as public transit, taxi or a designated driver, you can ensure that you, and others sharing the road with you, get to their destination safely. If you do drive, please make it a habit to drive sober every time you get behind the wheel to help make our highways safer together.

Motorists can expect to see numerous police road-checks throughout the province during the month of December and police ask everyone to drive safely and obey the direction of officers at all check-stops. BC Highway Patrol wishes everyone a safe holiday season!

BC Highway Patrol