Police road checks in Summerland showed drivers were sober on the Canada Day weekend.
Cpl. Bruce Haley of the Summerland RCMP detachment said there were no impaired or prohibited drivers stopped at any of the road checks around the holiday.
“We were blessed to have no occurrences on the weekend,” he said. “Hopefully that’s the way we’re going to kick off the summer.”
Around the province, police found more than 20 impaired drivers each day as 82 were removed from the roads, according to preliminary statistics from the RCMP.
The numbers include:
o 12 novice drivers were issued 12-hour suspensions
o 20 drivers received 24-hour suspensions for alcohol consumption.
o 62 drivers received three-day or seven-day immediate roadside prohibitions.
o 77 drivers were issued 90-day driving prohibitions after they failed the screening device or refused to provide a sample.
o three drivers were charged under the Criminal Code for impaired driving by alcohol
o two drivers were charged under the Criminal Code for impaired driving by drugs
o 11 drivers received drug-related 24-hour suspensions
During the same period in 2013, RCMP across the province charged 186 impaired drivers.
“The lack of drug or alcohol-involved fatalities over the extended long weekend shows that more and more drivers are making the right decisions,” said Cpl. Robert McDonald of the RCMP’s E Division Traffic Services, “but one impaired driver on B.C. roads is one too many.”