THE SKIDMARK

RCMP wage war

on impaired drivers

By Cust. RANDY HERMAN
N.V. RCMP

Counter Attack was
formed in 1977 by the At-
torney Generals Department
and Insurance Corporation
of British Columbia in the
hope that an all out blitz by
police forces could lower the
drinking-driving rate in B.C.
To date the program has
been successful; however
the number of drinking
drivers in B.C. continues to
rise. It is estimated that
almost 9 out of 10 British
Columbians over 18 con-
sume alcohol.

The Counter Attack
program was not designed to
apprehend and prosecute
those who only have a
sociable drink with friends
or when one goes out for
dinner. The Counter Attack
program was brought forth
in an attempt to eliminate
the irresponsible driver who
does not know when he or
she has had too much to
drink. These people who
cannot or will not control
their drinking cost the
taxpayers of British
Columbia over 100 million
dollars cach year through
enforcement, courts, in-
surance and medical bills
and, LIVES. Counter Attack
was also designed in an
attempt to protect the in-
nocent members of the
community who so often
become the VICTIMS ofthe
drunk driver.

Counter Attack is con-
stantly reminding all of us if
we are going to drink and
drive, of the consequences
which face us when we get
caught. That is, a criminal
record, a fine up to $2,000
and a three or six month
suspension. Second and
third convictions are much
more severe.

This year Counter Attack
will be introducing a new
idea to the drinking driver
campaign. Counter Attack
would like the public's
Participation in this years
war against the drinking
driver. All that the public is
required to do is when they
suspect they are following an
impaired driver, is to contact
their local police depart-
ment They will remain
anonymous and the only
Gctails which will be

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required are those of the
suspect vehicle. Those
details should be the licence
number, color, and make of
the vehicle. It should also be
noted that the time delay
between the time you ob-
serve the vehicle and when
you call the poice should be
as short as possible. The
information will be treated
with priority and an attempt
to locate the suspect vehicle
will take place immediately.

You may ask yourself why
should 1 get involved? I pay
my taxes to have the local
pohce enforce the law.

There are a number of
reasons why YOU shouid
become involved. As a
member of your community
you have a responsibility to
make your community one
of the safest places to live.
You have the right to walk
or drive down any of your
streets without having to
worry about a drunk driver.
It is estimated between the
hours of 10 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Wednesday through
Saturday that one driver in
four has been drinking, one
in fifteen is impaired.

You have a good chance
of meeting one of these
people during your travels.
Police are restricted in
numbers and cannot be in
every part of the community
atonce.

However with the “cyes”
of the community on patrol
we are attempting to
eliminate the impaired
driver. A police force is only
as good as the information it
receives from the public. A
police officer spends bet-
ween two and three hours
processing cach impaired
driver. The time spent in the
office is one less police
officer patrolling the strects.

Probably the most important
is that YOU may be the next
VICTIM of the DRUNK
driver.

The Counter § Attack
program has also been in-
troduced to high schools.
The highest total risk of
fatality is observed among
the impaired 16 to 17 year
olds who are 165 times more
likely to be KILLED than
that of the average non-
impaired driver. The school
Counter Attack program was
designed to imform and
prepare the student for the
future when he or she will
have to make the “driving
while impaired decision” .

Only good can come out
of a program such as the
Counter Attack Program. It
is the hope of the North
Vancouver Counter Attack
committee that the people of
North Vancouver will take
an active part in protecting
their streets from the drunk
driver.

If you would like to join
this civic minded Committee
and have a part in
climinating the impaired
driver from our streets
please write to me, Cst.
Randy Herman, Traffic
Section, c/o the North Shore
News, 1139 Lonsdale Ave.,
North Vancouver. The
committee mects once a
month and discusses strategy
against the impaired driver.

If you feel you cannot
afford the time, then please
participate in Counter
Attack’s new idea to stop
impaired drivers by calling
your local detachment of the
RCMP when you sec an
impaired driver on your
street. The number to call is
985-1311.

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