It's the season NOT to Drink and Drive
By Nelson Daily Staff
Nelson Police joins colleagues in the RCMP to officially kick off the Counter Attack campaign with a road check Friday afternoon at the Big Orange Bridge.
Police were joined by emergency services members from the local traffic units, ambulance and fire rescue.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the CounterAttack program with the launch of the December impaired driving campaign.
In a press release, ICBC said in 1976, the year before CounterAttack roadchecks started, more than 300 people were killed in impaired related crashes every year in our province.
While attitudes towards drinking and driving have changed considerably since then, an average of 113 lives are still lost each year and impaired driving remains the second leading cause of car crash fatalities in B.C.*
“The CounterAttack program is a remarkable initiative that has helped save countless lives, but we still have work to do,” said Mary Polak, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.
“The reality is 31 per cent of fatal crashes that occur every year in B.C. involve impaired driving. These are tragedies we can all help to prevent – when you celebrate this holiday season with your family and friends, make sure you plan ahead for a safe ride home.”
Police want the public if festivities involve alcohol, arrange for a designated driver or use other safe options to get home safely — call a taxi, take transit or call a sober friend.
“We don’t want to see another family suffer the tragic loss of a loved one at the hand of an impaired driver. This is why our dedicated officers will be out in full force during the holidays conducting CounterAttack roadchecks across the province,” said Chief Constable Jamie Graham, Victoria Police and Chair of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety Committee.
“If you choose to drive impaired, you will be caught and you will face severe consequences.”
Some Regional statistics released by ICBC include:
- On average, 32 people are killed each year in the Lower Mainland in impaired-related crashes.
- On average, 25 people are killed each year in North Central B.C. in impaired-related crashes.
- On average, 36 people are killed each year in the Southern Interior in impaired-related crashes.
- On average, 21 people are killed each year on Vancouver Island in impaired-related crashes.
