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RCMP Christmas Counterattack program is underway for 2016

Dec 2, 2016 | 11:41 AM

NANAIMO – ‘Tis the season — for RCMP check stops.

For the month of December and through the Christmas and New Year holidays, you will see an increased RCMP presence on the roads with their drinking and driving check-stops. They will be on main roads and side roads, according to Central Island Traffic Service Cpl. Mike Elston. He says they never know what they’ll find when they pull a vehicle over.

“We end up with quite a few prohibited drivers, vehicle impound candidates,” said Elston. “We always get some drug seizures and then there’s any number of things that can come through. And once in a while we get somebody who’s impaired. And we’ll be looking not just for alcohol based impairment but drug based impairment.”

The hard data wasn’t available but Elston says their numbers have been pretty even in recent years.

“They’ve been staying relatively the same at least in this area,” said Elston. “We saw a massive decrease in fatalities after the immediate roadside prohibition program kicked in a few years ago and that has seemed to maintain itself.”

The changes to impaired driving rules have led to what Elston calls a significant change in driving behaviour.

“There are people who when the penalties went up, said to themselves ‘ya know what, I cannot take this risk. It’s way too much’. And we meet those people every night.”

Depending on blood-alcohol content, the low-end of penalties for impaired driving include a three day license suspension, a three day vehicle impoundment and a $200 fine. At the other end of the spectrum, the penalty includes a 90 day license suspension, 30 day vehicle impoundment, $500 fine, mandatory enrollment in the Responsible Driver Program and enrollment in the Ignition Interlock Program.