Provincial posted Dec 10, 2024 @ 09:40am by Josh Duncan

Light Up the Province: Over 220 impaired drivers taken off the road in BC last weekend

A provincewide initiative to take impaired drivers off the road around the holidays did exactly what it set out to accomplish this past weekend.

More than 400 BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) officers were out at 122 check stops across British Columbia as part of the Light Up the Province blitz, which ended up checking nearly 44,000 vehicles.

It resulted in 222 impaired drivers being issued Immediate Roadside Prohibitions and being taken off the road, while at least 279 violation tickets were issued for other offenses.

“We know it feels like an inconvenience when you are waiting in line at a check stop, but it’s effective and we are catching a lot of impaired drivers,” said Supt. Mike Coyle, BCHP.

“Plenty of people still think they can get away with driving while impaired by alcohol and other drugs. It’s an unacceptable attitude and the reason why Light Up the Province is necessary.”

According to the BCHP, Light Up the Province is their contribution to National Impaired Driving Day, which marks the traditional launch weekend for the December winter impaired driving campaign.

<who>Photo Credit: BC Highway Patrol