
Be warned: CounterAttack season is back.
Saturday marks National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day, and seasonal check-stops will begin the month-long campaign to get drinking drivers off the road.
RCMP and BC Highway Patrol officers will be conducting CounterAttack operations across the region.
"Getting together with friends and family this time of year to celebrate is something we all look forward to," says North Okanagan RCMP spokesperson Const. Chris Terleski. "Enjoy yourself and have a good time, but please do it responsibly. Impaired driving, whether by alcohol or other drugs, can have deadly consequences, and there is zero tolerance for those who choose to put themselves and others at risk."
Motorists can expect to see increased police presence on roadways in the upcoming month.
Officers will be conducting check-stops, mandatory alcohol screening, field sobriety tests, and using drug recognition experts to identify and target impaired drivers.
"Tragically, too many people are injured or killed in preventable alcohol and drug-related collisions every year," says Terleski.
"Keeping our roads safe is a shared responsibility, and it starts by making good choices before you get behind the wheel. If you are going to drink alcohol or consume cannabis, don't drive and arrange in advance for a safe ride."