Drunk drivers, watch out. CounterAttack road checks have begun again in Powell River and will continue to the end of the holidays.
“BC has taken the lead on fighting impaired driving,” said Powell River RCMP constable Tim Kenning, “but impaired drivers are still caught on a weekly basis and there’s no reason for it. It baffles me.”
Throughout the month of December, local police and Integrated Road Safety Units from Vancouver Island will be stepping up traffic enforcement, road checks and taking impaired drivers off the road.
“Getting home safely should be a part of everyone’s holiday planning, but the reality is that impaired driving remains a leading cause of car-crash fatalities in BC,” stated Todd Stone, minister of transportation and infrastructure, in a media release. “Do your part this Christmas season and look out for family and friends: take a stand and don’t let them get behind the wheel impaired.”
The number of impaired drivers has dropped continuously since the provincial government, BC law enforcement agencies and Insurance Corporation of BC began the CounterAttack campaign in 1977.
The year prior, there were over 300 fatalities due to drunk drivers. Prior to the introduction of immediate roadside prohibition (IRP) laws in 2010, impaired driver rates had plateaued.
“Your car is gone, your license is gone, and it’s really expensive,” said Kenning. “It’s significantly better than what it was, improving a little each year. More people are getting the message, but definitely not enough.”
Since IRP laws were introduced the number of alcohol-related deaths has dropped further. In 2015, that number was 86.
Kenning is hopeful that in the long term those who are caught will help spread the word that impaired driving is not worth risking lives.
“Even one fatality is one too many,” said Kenning. “In this day and age when everyone has a cell phone, there’s no excuse for getting behind the wheel after drinking. Everyone knows someone out there who is sober who could give a ride home.”
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