Province-wide enforcement push nabs nearly 200 intoxicated drivers

BC Highway Patrol and BC RCMP say they checked more than 52,000 vehicles over the past weekend for their Light Up the Province campaign, and wound up issuing more than 600 tickets while catching hundreds of intoxicated motorists.

Check stops were set up around the province Saturday evening (Dec. 6), meant to catch intoxicated drivers and get them off the road. Ten check stops were set up throughout Merritt, Clearwater, Kamloops, and Kelowna. Between those checkpoints, Mounties issued 23 driving prohibitions and 76 tickets.

Province-wide, police say nearly 200 impaired drivers were caught over the weekend.

Highway Patrol says many of those were identified using Mandatory Alcohol Screenings, which caught intoxicated drivers even though they may not have shown any symptoms until they were breath tested.