4 ~ Sunday, December 26, 1993 - North Shore News

CounterAtt

Annual Christmas campaign proves a success 45 Impaired

WHILE CHRISTMAS CounterAttack impaired driving
charges have already surpassed those of last year in) Van-
couver, most North Vancouver drivers have heard the
message that it is wrong to drink and drive.

North Vancouver RCMP Const.
Barry Hicks said that most people
stopped by the police in North
Vancouver during the annual
Christmas CounterAttack . cam-
paign have either not been drink-
ing, have had a very small amount
to drink or have assigned # desig-

By Surj Rattan
News Reporter

nated driver.

This year's Christmas
CounterAtiack campaign began on
Dec. 8. It will end on Monday,

z 33 ;
NEWS photos Mike Waketiold

4 .

- BEING FINGER printed is all part of the process of being arrested :

when police pull over suspected drinking drivers.

etting

Jan. 3.

Since Monday of this week.
North Vancouver RCMP have:

@ charged six people with) il
paired driving singe the bepianing
of the annual Chrismas
CounterAttack campaign;
© issued 25, 24-hour
suspensions;

® recorded 37 incidents of prop’
erty damage caused by vehicles:
@ attended to 13 motor vehicle
accidents,

Hicks, a member of the local
RCMP traffic section, said none
of the motor vehicle injuries were
a result of drinking and driving.

“We have not had a lot (im-
paired drivers) so far this
Christmas season. /

“There has been some tight
drinking going on, but the major
ity of those intoxicated have had 4
designated driver. sas

“There’s a lot more responsible
people out there,"’ said Hicks.

He believes that the number of
drinking and driving offences are
down this Christmas season
because pcople’s attitudes towards
impaired driving have changed.

Hicks said people are listening
to the message of the province's
CounterAttack program: it is 1°

roadside

UVER RCMP
Const. Barry Hicks administers
a breathalyzer test.

iessage across

longer acceptable to drink and
drive.

“des not funny to drink and
drive anymore and people know
that,’ said Hicks,

The North Vancouver RCMP
are setting up their roadblocks at
an earlier hour in the evenings.
The strategy can act as a deterrent
to drinking and driving. Drivers
On their way to Christmas parties
will know that the police will be
waiting for them on the return trip
home.

As a result, said Hicks, most
drjvers decide not to drink and
drive.

“Usually, impaired drivers try
to minimize what they've done.
They: might say they’ve only had
One or two drinks, but as they
become more impaired, they lose
count,’’ said Hicks.

He added that it is up to the in-
dividual police officer's discretion
if someone will either be charged
with impaired driving or be

driving charges drop

handed a 24-hour roadside
suspension,

Alcohol odors, slurred specel,
bleod-shot and watery eyes and
inoior vehicle skills are just some
of the things police will look for
when checking drivers in roud-
blocks.

Hicks said the North Vancouver
RCMP also use the hand-held
breathalyzers, even though the
portable machines, which are
designed to record blood alcohol
levels, are the subject of con-
troversy.

Two B.C. Supreme Court deci-
sions were issued regarding the
breathalyzers. The first court rul-
ing said police must administer the
breathalyzer as soon as possible,

But a second court decision
ruled that the police must wait 15
minutes before administering the
breathalyzers.

The North Vancouver RCMP,

See Testing page §

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