Coquitlam RCMP kicked off the holiday season with a CounterAttack enforcement blitz in which officers removed five impaired drivers from the road.
In a six-hour span on Dec. 4 local Mounties were joined by neighbouring agencies, ICBC, Alexa's Bus and Operation Red Nose and checked about 2,000 drivers for drug or alcohol impairment.
Three of the drivers who were caught were given 90-day driving suspensions. The other two received suspensions of 24 hours and three days or more.
"When you consider impaired driving-related deaths and serious injuries are completely preventable, even one impaired driver is one too many," said Sgt. Terry MacDonald. "For those who insist on being behind the wheel after having a 'couple of drinks' you should give your head a shake."
Police are reminding those who are out celebrating to plan ahead for a safe ride home by arranging for a designated driver, calling a taxi, taking transit or using Operation Red Nose, the by-donation service that gets you and your vehicle home safely for a donation to KidSport.
About 27% of car crash fatalities are related to impairment, making it one of the leading causes of crash fatalities in B.C. On average, 23 people are killed in crashes involving impaired driving in the Lower Mainland.
Coquitlam RCMP are planning additional CounterAttack enforcement events at least every weekend through December.
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