Vancouver police have been busy over the holiday season keeping impaired drivers off the road.
While there have been crashes involving impaired drivers, the Vancouver Police Department's (VPD) Traffic Section has been catching some of these individuals at CounterAttack roadblocks in the city.
Set up across the province at the start of December, the roadblocks serve as an important tool to dissuade people from getting behind the wheel after they've consumed alcohol.
According to ICBC, 65 people die in impaired driving-related crashes each year with almost a third of them happening in the summer and during the holidays. So specially trained units of officers set up roadblocks and roving checks for drunk drivers.
The traffic section has shared a few photos and stories on Twitter of impaired drivers they've stopped this holiday season. In one incident, a 63-year-old man was arrested for the second time in only 11 days for impaired driving.
The VPD note that his blood alcohol level was over three times over the legal limit in both incidents.
Last night, a 63 yr old Vancouver resident was charged with impaired driving after a witness called 911. This is the second time in 11 days he has been arrested for impaired driving. In both incidents the drivers BAC was 300 mg%, over 3 times the legal limit. pic.twitter.com/T9hQuVDEw0
— VPD Traffic Section (@VPDTrafficUnit) December 18, 2022
In another incident, the VPD traffic section shared a photo of a "family vehicle" being towed after its driver was caught driving impaired.
"We will be out again tonight, but let's hope YOUR Sunday morning doesn't start with having to explain why the family vehicle was impounded for 30 days," quips the VPD.
It was great to see so many people using taxi's, ride share and designated drivers last night. We will be out again tonight, but let's hope YOUR Sunday morning doesn't start with having to explain why the family vehicle was impounded for 30 days. pic.twitter.com/QROifKh5aY
— VPD Traffic Section (@VPDTrafficUnit) December 18, 2022
In an incident on Dec. 15 at 10 a.m., an impaired driver who was over twice the legal limit crashed his vehicle. The VPD noted that it was the second time in under two years that he faces criminal charges for impaired driving.
At 10 a.m. this morning, this driver was well over twice the legal limit. This is the second time in less than 2 yrs he is facing criminal charges for impaired driving. He was the only occupant in the vehicle and was uninjured. pic.twitter.com/UpAMX4U0Tb
— VPD Traffic Section (@VPDTrafficUnit) December 15, 2022
VPD warns impaired drivers of tough driving laws, consequences
Vancouver police shared images of dedication boards from Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada. As they point out, these campaigns point out that there are "real people" behind the statistics.
Thank you to @maddcanada and @MADDVancouver for our dedication boards. We hope as drivers come through our roadblocks they are reminded that behind the statistics are real people. #notonemore pic.twitter.com/qMUhUE4zE7
— VPD Traffic Section (@VPDTrafficUnit) December 10, 2022
According to ICBC, B.C. has the" toughest drinking and driving laws in Canada." If you’re caught driving impaired, you could face these penalties:
- Driving suspensions from 24 hours to 90 days
- Vehicle impoundment
- Fines, from $600 and up to $4,060
- Jail time
- Mandatory rehabilitation
- Installation of ignition interlock in your vehicle
With files from Allie Turner.
