Image: BCHP / BC Highway Patrol launched the annual 'Light Up the Province' roadside campaign on Dec. 7, 2024, stepping up holiday patrols they say will "get impaired drivers off the roads."

By Don Mitchell

roadside checks

BC Highway Patrol launches annual ‘Light Up the Province’ campaign to get ‘impaired drivers off the roads’

Dec 8, 2024 | 11:45 AM

BURNABY – BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) launched their annual ‘Light Up the Province’ campaign on Saturday from a check stop on Grandview Highway near Boundary Road.

The outing brought together officers from police agencies across BC with a mission “to get impaired drivers off the roads.”

The campaign involves increased roadblocks throughout December, accompanied by regular updates on social media from the BCHP.

“We know we’ll get lots of positive support from people who stay sober and responsible on the roads,” BCHP Supt. Mike Coyle said prior to the launch in Burnaby.

“The statistics are clear, People who choose to drive while impaired by drugs or alcohol are the leading cause of criminal death and injury in Canada, and we will work to get those people off the road.”

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Roadside enforcement programs were intensified by the province in 2010 after efforts to reduce alcohol-related vehicle fatalities reportedly “stalled.”

Data over the following decade indicated a 50 per cent reduction in alcohol-related fatalities, potentially saving 522 lives.

However, BCHP expressed disappointment last year when 222 impaired drivers were removed across 228 check stops amid the launch of the 2023 ‘Light Up’ campaign.

Penalties for impaired driving range from a 24-hour to a 90-day immediate driving ban, vehicle impoundments, monetary fines, and potential charges under the Criminal Code of Canada.