Police on the Saanich Peninsula are lighting up the highway and local roadways this month, as part of a blitz to stem the tide of drinking and driving this holiday season.

ItB次元官网网址檚 an ongoing battle for police, who have to be on the look out for people who are driving while under the influence of alcohol B次元官网网址� at a time of year that seems to lend itself to more frequent nights out, due to the nature of the month of December.

At the beginning of the month, Central Saanich Police and the Sidney North Saanich RCMP teamed up for Light up the Highway B次元官网网址� a way to raise visibility of police, roadside checks and to get people to think about alternate ways of getting home from work parties or other events.

Corporal Chris Manseau, the public affairs officer for the Sidney North Saanich RCMP says he was quite pleased with how people are already treating the season.

During the Light up the Highway roadside checks earlier this month, he said they didnB次元官网网址檛 have to arrest or ticket anyone and no vehicles were impounded.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 happy with how that went,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淧eople had turned to taxis, designated drivers or friends and a lot of employers have been giving out taxi chits or hotel rooms.B次元官网网址�

Manseau calls that event B次元官网网址� a province-wide blitz by police to raise awareness of the season B次元官网网址� a bit of an anomaly, however.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 like to hope that the numbers of impaired drivers are dropping, but the fact is, we are still seeing them and itB次元官网网址檚 still a big problem.B次元官网网址�

Police, he continued, continue to focus their drinking and driving prevention work B次元官网网址� and roadblocks B次元官网网址� over the weekends and usually between the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.

Manseau said Friday, Saturday and Sunday are still the days during which most drinking takes place. So, officers continue to set up spot checks on main roads and back streets.

As well, police are even setting up roadblocks in the morning B次元官网网址� often catching drivers whoB次元官网网址檇 been drinking the night before and have not yet had enough time to lose their impairment.

Local police ask that the public be on the lookout for possible impaired drivers this month B次元官网网址� and throughout the year. Manseau said police will respond to peopleB次元官网网址檚 reports of drunk driving, ensuring both the community and police forces co-operate in getting such drivers off the road.

And it shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be difficult to do that, even before a fun night out had begun.

Manseau said there are plenty of options, rather than getting into your car after youB次元官网网址檝e been drinking.

Those include taxis, BC Transit, designated driver B次元官网网址� be it a friend or a parent or adult child B次元官网网址� and even hotel rooms nearby, allowing you to sleep it off.

Taking the chance after drinking and getting behind the wheel, B次元官网网址渋s just not worth the expense,B次元官网网址� Manseau said.

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