Based on the Sunshine Coast RCMP’s weekly report to the media, the volume of impaired driving cases on the Sunshine Coast has been alarmingly steady since mid-October. Last week, however, impaired drivers took the stupidity to a new level.
In the course of less than one hour just after midnight on Nov. 5, RCMP nabbed three alleged drunk drivers at check stops in Sechelt. All three received 90-day roadside prohibitions and their vehicles were impounded for 30 days. Don’t even ask them if it was worth it.
The next night a male driver sped past a check stop, police pursued and the driver was arrested for dangerous driving and flight from police. After he refused to provide a breath sample, he also received a 90-day roadside prohibition and had his vehicle impounded for 30 days. He later allegedly spat on an officer and hit another one in the face with his shoe, adding assaulting a police officer to his list of charges.
Earlier in the same week, on Nov. 2, in the middle of the day, a woman drove her van into the ditch on Highway 101 in Sechelt. She had three children in the vehicle with her. After failing a roadside alcohol-screening test, she too was issued a 90-day roadside prohibition and had her van impounded for 30 days.
That was just one week in Sechelt. The two weeks before that saw nine impaired drivers taken off the road in Gibsons, Roberts Creek and Sechelt, and most of those were the result of police or citizens noticing erratic – in other words dangerous – driving: crossing the centre-line into oncoming traffic, weaving badly, speeding, driving without proper lights. One driver was caught in Langdale, after being reported on the ferry, “exhibiting strong signs of impairment” and failing two roadside alcohol-screening tests. Like several others, this driver had “prior driving history” as well.
It appears we have a serious problem on the Sunshine Coast. A culture of impaired driving is blighting the community. Police, with their limited resources, are only scratching the surface by randomly catching some of the most obvious offenders.
It doesn’t take a genius to see where this is going. It’s going to end in tragedy and the victims will likely be innocent.
As we enter the Christmas party season, it behooves us all to take a sober view of the situation and proclaim zero tolerance for drinking and driving, individually and collectively. Tell yourself and everyone you know that driving while under the influence is simply and totally unacceptable.
