Photo: BC Highway Patrol

It was a busy weekend for the BC Highway Patrol as they removed more than 200 vehicles from the province's roadways.

The BC Highway Patrol was out in force with hundreds of officers patrolling highways around the province for operation Light Up the Province.

Officers checked more than 43,000 vehicles from Prince George to Revelstoke, to Campbell River, to Nelson, removing 220 impaired drivers over the course of the evening.

"We know it feels like an inconvenience when you are waiting in line at a checkstop, but it’s effective and we are catching a lot of impaired drivers," said superintendent Mike Coyle with the BC Highway Patrol.

"Plenty of people still think they can get away with driving while impaired by alcohol and other drugs. It’s an unacceptable attitude and the reason why Light Up the Province is necessary."

The BC Highway Patrol says they are still calculating but here are the numbers so far:

• 43,713 vehicles checked;
• At least 222 Immediate Roadside Prohibitions (an impaired driver has their licence suspended immediately);
• At least 279 Violation Tickets (for non-impaired driving);
• More than 400 police officers working over 122 checkstops.