Police cracking down on impaired driving this holiday season on Vancouver Island
Police across the country will be ramping up impaired driving enforcement ahead of the holiday season, and Vancouver Island is no exception.
RCMP are kicking off their "Winter CounterAttack" campaign, which means more police checks will be set up to monitor for impaired driving.
Saturday, Dec. 4, also marks "National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day" in Canada.
"For 24 hours, police officers from as far away as Bonavista, Newfoundland, to Ahousaht, on British Columbia’s rugged West Coast, are gearing up with a singular task – to stop anyone who chooses to drive while impaired by drugs and/or alcohol," said Nanaimo RCMP in a statement Friday.
BC Highway Patrol officers will also be setting up road checks across B.C., including on Vancouver Island, ranging from the North Island to Greater Victoria.
According to ICBC, an average of 65 people die in impaired driving-related car crashes in B.C. each year.
On Vancouver Island, 11 people are killed and 320 people are injured in roughly 600 impaired driving-related crashes annually.
"We want everyone to have a great evening but more importantly, we want everyone to arrive home safely," said Const. Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
"Don’t allow yourself to become a statistic. Make good choices," he said.
Nanaimo RCMP say they've also partnered with McDonalds restaurants this year to support sober and designated drivers.
Mounties will be handing out some free McDonald's coffee coupons to drivers at road checks on Saturday.
Instead of driving impaired, Mounties suggest arranging a ride in advance, taking a taxi, car pooling, or walking.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.