COVID-19 won't stop impaired driver road blocks, RCMP say
RCMP in B.C., say COVID-19 pandemic measures won't hamper efforts to stop impaired drivers on provincial roads this holiday season.
At a news conference Thursday morning in Surrey, the B.C. Traffic Services unit kicked off its month-long impaired driver Counter Attack campaign by demonstrating how officers will pull over and screen drivers using current health protocols.
"Just because COVID is upon us, does not mean that our commitment to reducing the number of people needlessly killed on our roadways each year is diminished," B.C. RCMP Traffic Services Supt. Holly Turton said.
RCMP detachments across the province will be implementing enforcement plans on various dates throughout the month, according to a statement issued the same day.
It said motorists can expect to see a heightened police presence targeting impaired drivers during December and beyond.
"I want to assure the public that our front-line officers are taking all reasonable steps necessary to prevent the spread of COVID," she said.
Officers will be equipped with protective gear such as masks, face shields and gloves, Turton said. But she also added, drivers will be expected to have a mask at hand if they are pulled over.
"Things such as wearing PPE or nonmedical masks, maintaining social distance during vehicle stops, reducing our contact with the driver and their documents and asking drivers to don their masks during these interactions," she said.
According to provincial statistics, an average 67 people die each year in collisions where alcohol, drugs or medication are involved, making impaired driving fatalities one of the leading causes of death on B.C. roadways.
