Police roll out holiday road checks to curb impaired driving
'Don't include us in your plans,' police tell holiday partiers.
Police across B.C. are launching their annual roadchecks in an effort to curb drunk driving during the holidays this year.
It's just one way that provincial authorities are supporting road safety as holiday partiers enjoy their eggnog and hot-buttered rum.
"Getting home safely should be part of everyone's holiday planning but the reality is that impaired driving remains a leading cause of car crash fatalities in B.C.," Transportation Minister Todd Stone said Thursday in a news release.
ICBC estimates impaired driving kills about 66 people in B.C. every year. As many as 16 people are killed in car crashes due to impaired driving in the Lower Mainland alone.
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- B.C. health minister worried about prevalence of "drugged driving"
The insurer recommends people secure a safe ride home by calling a taxi, taking public transit or by naming a designated driver.
Every year, 66 lives are lost due to impaired driving in BC. Keep your festivities merry by planning a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/saferidehome?src=hash">#saferidehome</a> <a href="https://t.co/Tx2fkr2McH">https://t.co/Tx2fkr2McH</a> <a href="https://t.co/4cWLwwKofI">pic.twitter.com/4cWLwwKofI</a>
—@icbcICBC is also supporting Operation Red Nose — a service in which volunteers provide people with a safe ride home when they're too drunk or tired to hop behind the wheel.
The Vancouver Police Department warned people not to drive impaired this holiday in a tweet.
"There are many alternatives to driving drunk — designated driver, friend, transit, taxi ... don't include us in your plans."