Salmon Arm RCMP served five drivers with immediate roadside prohibitions (IRPs) during a single night over the weekend.
Police said four of the IRPs resulted from proactive traffic stops conducted to check driver sobriety. The fifth IRP resulted from a report of an intoxicated person in a parking lot.
Three drivers registered a “fail,” which carries penalties that include a 30-day vehicle impoundment at the owner’s expense, a 90-day driving prohibition, fines, possible installation of an ignition interlock device and a requirement to complete the Responsible Driver Program.
Police said one driver registered a “warn,” which can result in vehicle impoundment, as well as either a three-day driving prohibition and fines for a first offence, a seven-day driving prohibition and fines for a second offence, or a 30-day driving prohibition and a requirement to complete the Responsible Driver Program for a third offence.
The fifth driver refused to provide a breath sample, which carries the same penalty as registering a “fail.”
Const. Andrew Hodges of the Salmon Arm RCMP said police will continue to target impaired drivers at all hours of the day.
“The Immediate Roadside Prohibition programs is one of the. tools used by police to remove impaired drivers off B.C.’s roadways and keep our roads and communities safe,” he said.
He added that people planning to drink should not drive and should find an alternative way home.
