Nearly 200 impaired B.C. drivers nabbed in single-night holiday season crackdown

A pickup truck is towed away from an impaired driving check stop on Vancouver Island. (Handout)

Police pulled nearly 200 impaired drivers off B.C. roads last Saturday for the annual Light Up the Province counterattack campaign.

Officers checked 52,091 vehicles during the single-night holiday season crackdown, issuing 190 immediate roadside driving prohibitions and 662 tickets, according to a tally shared by B.C. Highway Patrol on Wednesday.

That was down slightly from 2024’s campaign, when 222 impaired drivers were nabbed in one night, even though officers checked almost 8,400 additional vehicles this year.

In a statement, Insp. Adam Tallboy said Canada’s mandatory alcohol screening law — which allows police to demand a breath sample from anyone, even if there is no suspicion the driver is intoxicated — continues to be “a great tool” for law enforcement.

“Multiple impaired drivers were pulled off the road even though they did not show any symptoms until they were breath tested,” Tallboy said.

The federal government passed Bill C-46, allowing for mandatory alcohol screening, in 2018.

B.C. Highway Patrol thanked all the municipal police departments and volunteers who participated in this year’s Light Up the Province, and warned drivers that counterattack efforts will continue throughout the month.

“The best outcome is for you to drive sober and within the speed limit, leave plenty of time for adverse winter driving conditions, and get to your Christmas destination safely without any costly fines,” Tallboy said.