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Drivers finally getting the message

Cpl. Ted Manchulenko said the message is getting out there after police responded to no collisions and found zero drunk drivers.

Police found more designated drivers than anything else on New Year’s Eve.

“We had a really good evening. We had no impaired drivers and according to the stats from the evening, with the weather being the weather, we had no significant motor vehicle accidents to report with any type of injuries so that was good,” said Cpl. Ted Manchulenko.

RCMP reported a significant amount of sober designated drivers with cars full of New Year’s Eve partygoers.

“It’s actually difficult sometimes, you have to get the driver out of the car because there’s so much alcohol odour inside the car that you have to get them outside to determine where it’s coming from,” Manchulenko said.

Roadside checks earlier this month led to seven immediate roadside driving prohibitions over two days, Dec. 10 and Dec. 15, and one criminal code impaired driving offence.

“Perhaps by New Year’s Eve everybody got the message. So New Year’s Eve we had a good evening,” Manchulenko said. “I think the education has played a huge role in making people more aware that it’s not acceptable anymore and more so to that it’s not something that you can sort of guarantee you’re getting away with anymore because you know people are out there to stop you. Especially on a night like New Year’s Eve.”

 

Penticton Western News