A Langley RCMP sweep for drunk drivers failed to find a single one on Canada Day, something that suggests a stepped-up police campaign against drinking and driving is having the desired effect.
Officers set up check stops on Saturday from 11 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. at two locations; 200 Street and 68 Avenue and the 264 Street off-ramp on Highway 1.
They stopped about 500 drivers.
Three motorists were given roadside screening tests and all three blew under the limit.
Langley RCMP have been cracking down on drinking drivers in response to an increase in impaired driving cases recorded from November of last year to February of this year.
READ MORE: ‘Tis the season for Counter Attack in Langley
During one day, when the RCMP launched their holiday CounterAttack program back on Saturday, Dec. 2, the police issued three 90-day roadside suspensions, one three-day driving suspension and two 24-hour suspensions for drugs during a two-hour blitz.
“We were seeing substantially higher numbers ,” said Langley RCMP Traffic Section Sgt. Alexandra Mulvihill.
“Double the usual.”
Mulvihill said the crackdown was a “detachment priority” that appears to have been a successful deterrent.
“We’ve been out a lot,” said Mulvihill.
“We have seen a decrease.”
While there were no impaired cases discovered Saturday night, police were on the lookout for other offences as well.
“We’re checking for all violations,” Mulvihill said, with officers looking for things like insurance violations, taxi permit problems and prohibited drivers.
READ MORE: Remembering Alexa: 10 years after a drunk driver killed a young girl
dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
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