Over July and August, Saanich Police officers took 92 impaired drivers off Saanich Streets. 46 of the 92 drivers received a 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP) which indicates they either blew a FAIL on an Approved Screening Device or refused to provide a breath sample.
Of the 92 impaired drivers caught:
72 IRPs were issues ranging from 3-days to 90-days. These drivers also had their vehicles impounded from 3-days to 30-days.
59 of the drivers were stopped between 8pm and 2am.
20 Drivers received 24-hour license suspensions.
7 of the individuals who received a 90-day IRP held a class seven license.
6 of the drivers were impaired by drugs.
2 of the of the impaired drivers were involved in single vehicle collisions which resulted in minor injuries.
“Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while impaired by alcohol or drugs endangers everyone in our community, including the person driving. While we have seen a decrease in the total number of impaired drivers this year, the number of drivers blowing a fail on a screening device or refusing to provide a breath sample remains high. A single impaired driver is one too many. There is no excuse for driving impaired, and our department will continue to deploy resources to stop this selfish behaviour.” – Deputy Chief Paul Douglas, Operations.
Consequences of Driving Impaired
If you are caught driving impaired, you may be subject to the following:
Under Section 215 of the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA):
- officers have the right to suspend a driver’s licence for 24hrs if they believe the driver to be impaired.
Under the Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP) rule:
- 3-day WARN: breath sample registered WARN – licence seized vehicle impounded for 3-day
- 7-day WARN: breath sample registered WARN / second time in 5 years – licence seized vehicle impounded for 7-days
- 30-day WARN: breath sample registered WARN / third time in 5 years – licence seized vehicle impounded for 30-days
- 90-day FAIL/REFUSE: breath sample registered FAIL or driver REFUSED to provide – licence seized for 90-days vehicle impounded for 30-days.
Note:
- Under section 215 or the MVA, a driver can reclaim a licence from the police department that seized it.
- Under the IRP rule, a driver’s license is not returned; the driver needs to seek a new licence through ICBC.