‘It’s alarming’: 19 impaired drivers stopped in Abbotsford Friday night

Police highlighted a "particularly concerning" recent incident that wasn't part of Friday night's total, in which a 40-year-old woman was driving impaired on her way to pick up her child from school. (@AbbyPoliceDept / X.com)

Police in Abbotsford say they stopped more than a dozen impaired drivers in the city Friday night.

The Abbotsford Police Department said on social media Saturday that its Traffic Enforcement Unit and patrol officers had taken 19 impaired drivers off the streets in a single evening.

“It’s alarming how many individuals continue to drive under the influence, despite the ease of finding a safe ride home,” police said in their post.

They also highlighted a “particularly concerning” recent incident that wasn’t part of Friday night’s total.

On Thursday afternoon, a 40-year-old woman was arrested for impaired driving after crashing into a tree and getting stuck on a concrete median.

“She was found to be over three times the legal alcohol limit – and was on her way to pick up her child from school,” police said.

Abbotsford police have been dealing with a surge in impaired driving this year.

Sgt. Paul Walker told CTV News on Saturday that the department has stopped 549 impaired drivers so far in 2025, a total that is on track to surpass last year’s.

Friday was the 150th day of the year, meaning Abbotsford police have taken an average of 3.66 impaired drivers off the road each day this year.

“Every impaired driver we stop is a tragedy narrowly avoided, but the real frustration is knowing some won’t be caught in time,” said Walker in an email.

“Too many drivers are still making the reckless choice to drive impaired. Our officers remain committed to proactive enforcement — identifying, removing, and holding these drivers accountable to protect everyone on our roads.”

The 19 impaired drivers stopped Friday night were issued their immediate roadside prohibitions over an eight-hour period between 5:20 p.m. and 1:20 a.m.

Two drivers were issued 12-hour suspensions, six received 24-hour suspensions, six received three-day suspensions, one received a seven day suspension and four received 90-day suspensions, according to Walker.

Sign campaign

At the beginning of April, the department said traffic stops for alcohol and drug impairment had risen by 74 per cent in comparison to the same period last year.

While some of that increase is due to more robust enforcement on the part of police, there also appears to be “a significant rise” in impairment overall, Walker said at the time.

To raise public awareness, the APD has partnered with ICBC and Mothers Against Drunk Driving on a signage campaign to highlight the locations where officers have nabbed impaired drivers on a weekly basis.

The bright red signs read “Impaired driver caught here,” and include a prompt for witnesses to call 911.

• Read more: Impaired driving up 74% in Abbotsford, B.C., prompting new signage campaign

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Andrew Weichel