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BC Highway Patrol officers take 267 impaired drivers off the road in holiday campaign

RCMP confirm some of these drivers were in the Sea to Sky Corridor.
Jennifer Thuncher
Jennifer Thuncher
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BC Highway Patrol officers, some stationed in Squamish, took hundreds of drivers off the road in December of 2024.Courtesy of BC Highway Patrol

Even in this day and age, some folks are still getting behind the wheel while under the influence.

BC Highway Patrol officers took 267 drivers off the road in December during its Winter Impaired Driving Campaign. 

That’s an impaired driver caught every three hours for 31 days, or close to nine ( 8.61 ) drivers per day.

While Mounties could not confirm exactly where each offence happened, RCMP did confirm that some of these were in the Sea to Sky Corridor.

BC Highway Patrol has members permanently stationed in Squamish, who were part of this campaign.

"The Winter Impaired Driving Campaign clearly shows that education is not enough for people who choose to drive while impaired," said Supt. Mike Coyle, acting officer in charge of BC Highway Patrol, in a news release. 

"Nobody is surprised when they fail a roadside screening device and their vehicle is towed. Enforcement is a necessary follow-up to education."

The annual campaign is a provincewide program in support of National Impaired Driving Prevention Month that features enhanced enforcement—that takes place on top of enforcement by local police in each municipality—through check stops and patrols.

Here are the December 2024 prohibitions in BC Highway Patrol’s five regions:

  1. Lower Mainland (including the Sea to Sky Corridor and Pemberton to Hope); 45 prohibitions.
  2. North (100 Mile House and north, excluding Clearwater); 52 prohibitions.
  3. South East Central (including Vernon, Kelowna, Kamloops and Clearwater); 81 prohibitions.
  4. South East Kootenay (including Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, Grand Forks, east to Alberta); 36 prohibitions.
  5. Vancouver Island; 53 prohibitions.

The Winter Impaired Driving Campaign is the second busiest time of year for impaired driving enforcement. The busiest time of year is the Summer Impaired Driving Campaign, which runs from June to August. 

In Canada, 30% to 50% of all fatal crashes involve a driver who has consumed alcohol, drugs or both, according to Health Canada.

According to the federal Department of Justice, it has been an offence to drive while intoxicated since 1921.

In 1925, the government made it illegal to drive while intoxicated by narcotics.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada) was formed in 1989 to create a national network of victims, survivors and concerned citizens working together to stop drunk driving and to support victims. 

If you are struggling with alcohol or other substances, the 24-hour BC Alcohol and Drug Information and Referral Service is toll-free from anywhere in B.C. at 1-800-663-1441.

Folks can also call 8-1-1 at any time to speak to someone who can help find health information and services or connect the caller directly with a registered nurse.