DriveSmartBC

As the summer BBQ season and Canada Day celebrations kick off, the Province, ICBC and
police are reminding motorists that drinking and driving can be a deadly combination. The
month-long, province-wide campaign includes enhanced CounterAttack roadchecks,
advertising and partnerships with sports facilities, municipalities and businesses.

On Canada Day alone, there are approximately 20 alcohol-related crashes in B.C. resulting in
20 injuries and one death.

“I’ve seen the tremendous damage and pain caused by drinking and driving," said Solicitor
General Kash Heed. "I particularly want young people to know that they are risking their own
lives and the lives of their friends if they make the wrong choice and get behind the wheel
when they've been drinking."

In an average year in B.C., 5,100 alcohol-related collisions cause 3,180 injuries and 116
deaths. Young men continue to be vastly over-represented in alcohol-related crashes,
accounting for 81 per cent of all impaired drivers. Thirty-five per cent of all impaired drivers
in alcohol-related collisions are between the ages of 16 and 25.

“We have a tough challenge because many people, and particularly young men, aren’t being
honest with themselves about their drinking and driving,” cautioned Nicolas Jimenez, ICBC’s
road safety director. “The reality is it doesn’t take much to impair your judgment, hand-eye
coordination and reaction time. So if you’re drinking at a summer BBQ or at a party, it's easy
to make smart choices: leave your car at home, carpool and designate a driver in advance,
call a cab, take transit or ask a sober friend to drive you home.”

During July, police across the province will be out in full force checking for drivers impaired by
alcohol or drugs. Impaired drivers stopped at roadchecks or elsewhere face a range of
penalties from 24-hour prohibitions and vehicle impoundments, 90-day administrative driving
prohibitions to criminal charges, fines and jail time. In addition, drivers who have one or more
driving-related criminal convictions or two or more roadside suspensions on or after January
1, 2008, will pay ICBC a Driver Risk Premium, separate from insurance premiums.

On top of fines, all convicted drinking drivers who receive multiple driving prohibitions are
required to have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicles, which prevents them
from starting or continuing to drive if they’ve been drinking. Program evaluations have found
up to a 90 per cent reduction in repeat drinking and driving when the device is installed.

“While we’re out to enforce the law, we’re also hoping to educate drivers. One of the hardest
parts of our job is knocking on a door to deliver tragic news to a victim’s family,” added
Superintendent Norm Gaumont, RCMP “E” division traffic services. “Crashes involving alcohol
and drugs are completely preventable, and the impact on families and communities is
profound.”