ICBC and police are starting to crack down harder on impaired drivers this weekend with CounterAttack road checks as holiday parties and celebrations start to ramp up.
According to ICBC, 13 people are killed and 170 are injured every year in North Central BC in impaired driving crashes.
“This time of year is Counterattack season,” Doug MacDonald, ICBC’s North Central Road Safety Manager, told My PG Now.
He said his biggest question for drivers in the winter season is “it is preventable,” whether that is giving yourself enough time on slippery roads or planning a safe ride home.
One of the best options to get home that he pointed at is Operation Red Nose, which is currently in its second weekend of operation this season.
“Services like that, as well as taxis and designated drivers, are great ways for people who find themselves in a situation where they should not be driving and they are smart enough to know they should not be taking those risks.”
To encourage safe driving and catch those who are not, drivers will see roadblocks popping up more frequently as we approach Christmas and the new year.
“The CounterAttack program is about enforcement,” MacDonald said. “It is really important to get that message out there ahead of time, so people don’t take those chances.”
In total, ICBC says impaired driving related accidents claim 64 lives in the province every year.