Within a 24-hour period last weekend, officers from the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP detachment were busier than normal getting impaired drivers’ off the road.
Const. Amron Christensen said that sometimes during regular patrols, police officers observe erratic driving behaviours that alert them to a potentially dangerous driver.
Christensen said other times, erratic driving behaviour is reported to police by concerned citizens.
“Thanks to the alertness of several community members, and the quick response by North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP officers, six drivers who were believed to be impaired by drugs or alcohol were taken off of our roadway this weekend (July 13-14),” Christensen said.
“Three drivers were issued 90-day immediate roadside prohibitions, two drivers were issued three-day immediate roadside prohibitions, and one driver was issued a 90-day immediate roadside prohibition for refusing to provide a breath sample.”
Christensen said this number is noticeably higher than most other 24-hour periods.
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RCMP Sgt. Adam Tallboy said police rely on citizen input and cooperation to continue allowing them to provide the best possible service standard to the Cowichan Valley.
“We want to encourage anyone who suspects someone is driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol to notify us so that we can take quick action to respond,” he said.
“Everyone has a role to play in keeping impaired drivers’ off of our roadways. Whether it’s planning a safe ride home ahead of time, reporting an unsafe driver to RCMP, or offering to be a designated driver to prevent others from driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, everyone has a part to play in preventing injuries and fatalities from occurring in our community.”
Each year in B.C., 68 people die in crashes that involve impaired driving, with about half of those deaths occuring during the summer months.