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Long Weekend Driving

AbbyPD reminding drivers to stay safe and aware for Labour Day weekend travel

Sep 2, 2022 | 6:00 AM

ABBOTSFORD — The Abbotsford Police Department will be ramping up patrols for the Labour Day long weekend.

Cst. Scott McClure of AbbyPD is reminding drivers to remain patient and plan ahead as they navigate busy roads this last long weekend of the summer. He also wants to remind everyone to stay sober when getting behind the wheel of any kind.

“We just need to have a little bit of patience with the fact that the highways are going to be busy, there are going to be delays, and you’re not going to get everywhere at the same speed that you normally would on any other weekend,” he stressed.

When it comes to boating, Cst. McClure said a typical slogan used is “impaired boating is impaired driving.”

“In the eyes of the law, the term that we use is conveyance,” he said. “It’s two-fold as well, because what we’ll have is a lot of people that not only go out to the lake, and they start drinking on the boat, but we also have those same people load their boats onto the trailers and then drive home at the end of the day.”

The constable said people need to gauge ahead of time how much alcohol they’ll consume and at what pace.

“It is not uncommon for us to see people that have gone out and they drank the night before, and they stop drinking at 3 a.m., and they hit the road at 6 a.m. after a couple of hours of sleep,” he said. “If we pull you over and get that odour of liquor, you’re likely going to be required to provide a breath sample. And we often have people that are surprised when they see their readings come back as a fail.”

B.C. law prohibits operating a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol and drugs, and drivers can lose their privileges if their blood/alcohol concentration is over .05.

“There are going to be police officers dedicated specifically to impaired driving by alcohol and by drugs, and they’re going to be out on all evenings in different areas of Abbotsford,” Cst. McClure warned. “We’re dedicated to impaired driving enforcement. It’s something we focus on quite a lot. Realistically, it’s a matter of time—you might get away with it once or twice, but eventually you’re just going to get caught.”