Flashing police lights will be common sights in the Nanaimo area in December for the annual CounterAttack program (CFJC)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

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Dec 6, 2019 | 5:33 AM

NANAIMO — Holiday party season has arrived and so have increased police resources to nab impaired drivers.

A heavy police presence will be on Nanaimo streets, particularly on weekends, as part of the ICBC-funded CounterAttack program.

“Every weekend on any given street or highway there will be police officers conducting road checks,” Nanaimo RCMP Cst. Gary O’Brien said. “They are looking for one thing and that is impaired drivers.”

A one-night blitz on Friday, Dec. 6 will involve roughly 30 traffic officers from other detachments converging on Nanaimo.

O’Brien said impaired driving behaviours are “trending favourably” in Nanaimo with motorists well aware of the province’s strict laws.

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“We’re seeing a number of people who are now relying on designated drivers who are in fact sober. In the last couple years we had designated drivers but they had one or two drinks,” O’Brien said.

A blood-alcohol concentration limit of .08 or higher can result in a criminal impaired driving charge in B.C.

Impaired driving penalties can include fines ranging between $600 and $4,000, driving suspensions and jail time.

Federal legislation took effect nearly a year ago allowing police to order a driver to take a breathalyzer, even if no signs of impairment are shown.

On average, 10 of the nearly 70 annual deaths related to impaired driving in B.C. occur on Vancouver Island, according to ICBC.

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