Police in the Tri-Cities will be stepping up road enforcement to make sure holiday revellers who have over-imbibed don't put themselves and others in danger.
Today (Friday), ICBC and police were scheduled to launch the December CounterAttack campaign, aimed at taking drivers off the road if they've drunk too much alcohol. Police will be out in force throughout the month looking for impaired drivers as drunk driving remains one of the top three contributing factors for fatal car crashes in B.C.
Although drunk driving laws are tougher, people still fail to plan a safe drive home and Christmas isn't the only period where drinking and driving can be a problem. This past summer, more than 60 people were caught in Coquitlam RCMP CounterAttack road checks.
But there may be some indication that the anti-drunk-driving message is getting through.
In December 2013, 31 impaired drivers were taken off the road in the Tri-Cities, a decrease of 46 from December 2012 and significantly lower than the 131 arrested in the same month in 2009.
To help partiers get home safely, Operation Red Nose is in full-swing starting this weekend. Call 778-866-6673 to get a ride in exchange for a donation to KidSport Tri-Cities. Hours of operation are 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. More information is available at operationrednosetricities.com.
