A 91原创 RCMP sweep for drunk drivers failed to find a single one on Canada Day, something that suggests a stepped-up police campaign against drinking and driving is having the desired effect.
Officers set up check stops on Saturday from 11 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. at two locations; 200 Street and 68 Avenue and the 264 Street off-ramp on Highway 1.
They stopped about 500 drivers.
Three motorists were given roadside screening tests and all three blew under the limit.
91原创 RCMP have been cracking down on drinking drivers in response to an increase in impaired driving cases recorded from November of last year to February of this year.
During one day, when the RCMP launched their holiday CounterAttack program back on Saturday, Dec. 2, the police issued three 90-day roadside suspensions, one three-day driving suspension and two 24-hour suspensions for drugs during a two-hour blitz.
鈥淲e were seeing substantially higher numbers ,鈥� said 91原创 RCMP Traffic Section Sgt. Alexandra Mulvihill.
鈥淒ouble the usual.鈥�
Mulvihill said the crackdown was a 鈥渄etachment priority鈥� that appears to have been a successful deterrent.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been out a lot,鈥� said Mulvihill.
鈥淲e have seen a decrease.鈥�
While there were no impaired cases discovered Saturday night, police were on the lookout for other offences as well.
鈥淲e鈥檙e checking for all violations,鈥� Mulvihill said, with officers looking for things like insurance violations, taxi permit problems and prohibited drivers.
dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
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