Call it a lesson neither the student nor the teacher will forget.
Coqutilam RCMP says it recently busted a student driver — mid-driving lesson — for impaired driving.
“It’s not often we tow a car with two steering wheels, but impaired is impaired,” said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin in a media release. “Everyone must be safe on the road.”
It happened on Feb. 2, when an officer saw the car with a large “student driver” sign on the back run a stop sign, according to police.
The officer pulled the car over and administered a roadside sobriety test.
The 44-year-old student driver failed, police said.
Police said the student was issued a 90-day suspension of his learner’s licence and a ticket for running the stop sign.
The driving instructor, operating from a small Richmond company, had his car impounded for 30 days, said police.
Investigators said both the driver and the driving school could subsequently face an ICBC review.
“This may be a funny story, but we’re serious about keeping our community safe,” said McLaughin.
“It also shows why traffic stops are one of the most unpredictable things you can do as a police officer. Neither the driving student nor the instructor did their due diligence to be safe on the road. Our officer made sure to deliver immediate consequences.”
Police are advising driving students to research which driving school they choose, and are reminding them it’s never okay to drive impaired or distracted.
Driving instructors are being reminded to carefully evaluate their students at all times, and not to let them on the road if they’re not safe to drive.