Burnaby RCMP is reminding you that driving impaired during this holiday party season will likely get you put on the naughty list.
Burnaby RCMP Traffic Services officially kick-off the Winter CounterAttack Impaired Driving Campaign this weekend. Starting Friday December 6th, Burnaby RCMP and partner police agencies will be stepping up impaired driving enforcement during the month of December looking for drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Expect to see an increase in CounterAttack roadblocks throughout Burnaby where officers will be using standardized field sobriety testing and specially trained drug-recognition experts enforcing the federal Cannabis Act and B.C,’s Cannabis Control and Licensing Act.
Impaired driving fines can range from $600 to $4,060 and will most definitely put a dent in your Christmas budget. Most importantly though, you are putting people’s lives at risk by driving impaired.
On average, 68 lives are lost each year in the province due to impaired driving crashes involving alcohol, drugs, or medication (based on a five-year average from 2013 to 2017).
With so many options available for transportation, there really is no excuse to drive impaired. Plan for a safe ride home by arranging a designated driver, car pooling, or take a taxi or transit, said Corporal Daniela Panesar of the Burnaby RCMP.
Anyone who suspects a driver of being impaired should call 911 immediately, provide the vehicle’s license plate, vehicle description, and the vehicle’s direction of travel.