Saanich police stopped and penalized three impaired drivers over the last weekend of March.
Despite the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, officers are still out actively enforcing the law, said Const. Markus Anastasiades, public information officer for the Saanich Police Department. Between March 27 and 29, officers found three driverst on Saanich streets while under the influence of alcohol, he said.
READ ALSO: Saanich police removed nearly one impaired driver per day from roads over holidays
On Friday night, a driver was stopped on Shelbourne Street near Cedarglen Road at about 9:30 p.m. because their headlights were out, Anastasiades said. Upon inspection, the driver was found to be impaired and was issued an immediate 90-day roadside prohibition and their vehicle was impounded for 30 days, he said.
We are still dealing with the same issues on our roadways.. our unit issued two 90-day immediate roadside prohibitions for impaired driving Saturday night. pic.twitter.com/f4AfUYPPqj
— Saanich Police Traffic Safety Unit (@SPD_Traffic) March 30, 2020
The next night, a driver was pulled over around 8:30 p.m. for speeding on the Pat Bay Highway. This driver was also found to be under the influence of alcohol so, on top of a speeding ticket, the officer issued an immediate 90-day driving suspension and 30-day vehicle impound, Anastasiades said.
A few hours later, just before 1:20 a.m. on Sunday, the same officer stopped a second impaired driver of the night – the third of the weekend. The driver was swerving on Burnside Road East near Harriet Road when the officer pulled them over for an alcohol screening, Anastasiades said. This driver received the same 90-day prohibition and 30-day vehicle impound as the first two.
While the roads are bare in the early hours of the morning, we continue to patrol them to keep everyone safe. #yyjtraffic #roadsafety pic.twitter.com/SmHRlQO3H3
— Saanich Police Traffic Safety Unit (@SPD_Traffic) April 1, 2020
READ ALSO: UPDATED: Crash snarls early morning Malahat traffic
Unfortunately, this isn’t uncommon, Anastasiades said, pointing out that police stop at least one impaired driver per weekend night. Drunk driving and speeding don’t happen by accident but the actions create risks for more than just the driver, he added. The “colossal penalties” serve as a reminder of these risks.
Officers are trained to detect impaired drivers and will continue to enforce road safety “no matter what,” Anastasiades said.
@devonscarlettLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
