In all, police dealt with a total of 44 impaired drivers during this year's CounterAttack campaign, compared to 67 in 2011.
Photograph by: NOW , file
There's no doubt social media is playing a greater role many people's lives, but it does have its challenges as far as police are concerned.
That's especially the case when it comes to drinking and driving road checks.
Some Lower Mainland motorists have taken to Twitter to alert drivers about roadblock locations.
It's a practice the Vancouver Police Department recently condemned, and in the Tri-Cities, Mounties feel pretty much the same way.
RCMP Cpl. Jamie Chung noted tweeting roadblock locations isn't illegal, but cautioned people need to keep in mind what they're doing.
"You wouldn't be feeling very good if an impaired driver ended up hurting or killing someone you loved because he or she takes another road to avoid a roadblock," he told The NOW, adding there have been situations in the Tri-Cities involving people tweeting roadblock locations.
Whether it was people avoiding roadblocks or just choosing a safe way to get home after a night of drinking, the number of motorists busted for drinking and driving in the Tri-Cities during the holiday season was down compared to previous years.
According to CounterAttack numbers provided by Coquitlam RCMP, the force handed out 15 24-hour driving prohibitions during the month-long campaign.
Police also handed out six three-day immediate roadside prohibitions [IRPs], one seven-day IRP, 21 90-day IRPs and one Criminal Code charge for impaired driving.
That's compared to 2011, when local police issued a total of 42 24-hour roadside suspensions, 18 three-day IRPs and recommended seven Criminal Code charges for impaired driving.
It should be noted police weren't handing out 90-day IRPs, as the legislation was being challenged in court at the time.
In all, police dealt with a total of 44 impaired drivers during this year's campaign, compared to 67 in 2011.
Chung noted the decline is consistent with those in similar communities across B.C.
"I would say people are sort of getting the message and some of them are not," he said, adding police are still seeing a large number of drivers getting 90-day suspensions.
Last summer's CounterAttack program also yielded similar results in Coquitlam, with the number of drivers receiving roadside prohibitions dropping by one-half from the previous year.
Despite the extra attention paid to drunk drivers during the holiday season, Chung said the RCMP will continue to target impaired drivers throughout the year.
Under tough provincial drinking and driving laws, which were reinstated in June following a court challenge, drivers can receive immediate roadside suspensions, have their cars impounded and face fines of up to $4,000.
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