RCMP Counter Attack is Back for the Holiday Season

The RCMP were out in full force Saturday evening part of the Counter Attack Program. Insurance Corporation of British Columbia and the RCMP partnered up to set up road checks on Highway 16 near the intersection with Pickering Road, pulling driver’s over as a preventative measure.

The safety road checks were used to ensure driver’s get the message this holiday season to not drink and drive. “Every year it’s the same message, we want to ge the message across about not drinking and driving no matter what month it is,” said Doug MacDonald, ICBC Road Safety Coordinator.

The holiday season presents more opportunity to go out to functions and holiday parties, but that does not mean you can’t plan for a safe ride home. “We don’t want to put people in jail, we don’t want people to go to court, we don’t want to tow their vehicles. So hopefully they get the hint that hey we’re out here, we’re loud, we’re overt here and it helps them make perhaps a better choice than otherwise they would make,” said Supt. Warren Brown, Officer in Charge of the Prince George RCMP.

Since the program began 40 years ago there has been a significant decrease in drinking and driving cases. The number 40 years ago was around 300 and now it’s down to 63 provincially according to MacDonald.