Police in B.C. are launching their 35th annual CounterAttack program with the same message: Don’t drink and drive.
Many people have got the message because motor vehicle deaths due to impaired driving have dropped to an average of 113 per year as compared to the 300 people killed in 1976, the year before CounterAttack began.
But impaired driving remains the second-leading cause of car-crash fatalities in the province, according to ICBC.
Victoria Chief Constable Jamie Graham, chair of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety Committee, represented police at the press conference Thursday at which CounterAttack was formally kicked off.
“The police are going to be out there in absolute force,” said Graham, promising roadside stop-checks.
“Please do not drive if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” he said.
In addition to taking public transit or a taxi, anyone including alcohol in their holiday plans can set up designated driver arrangements where the driver doesn’t drink. There are also 13 B.C. communities which offer Operation Red Nose, a volunteer service that provides safe rides home for drivers and their passengers.
More driving tips for the holiday season and on the CounterAttack program can be found at icbc.com.
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