BC Highway Patrol Winter Impaired Driving campaign saw an increase in Northern BC

BC Highway Patrol’s 2025 Winter Impaired Driving Campaign saw an overall decrease in the number of impaired drivers.

Media Relations Officer Michael McLaughlin said that’s good news but definitely some concerning numbers in the Cariboo and the Northern Region.

“That’s in spite of the fact that we had some really bad weather that got in the way of some of our enforcement. So we’re definitely noticing too many impaired drivers in the North and the Cariboo, that’s something we would like to get down over the coming year.”

The North for the RCMP covers the Cariboo, Prince George and Fort St John.

“We do concentrate a little bit along those highways that have lots of people,” McLaughlin said, “That’s why these numbers are really relevant for the Cariboo. When you do have impaired driving it’s impaired driving hurting others that is a particular concern. We want those numbers to come down and that’s not what we’ve seen in this latest Driving Campaign.”

McLaughlin noted that overall numbers are down in the province, about 27 overall Driving Prohibitions for the month of December, however in the North and the Cariboo, they are up and that’s something of concern.

Northern BC, that includes most communities north of 100 Mile House, saw 64 Driving Prohibitions, that’s up by 12 from 2024.

“All of the local detachments are also doing their own Impaired Driving Campaigns so their numbers are going to be on top of what BC Highway Patrol has released.” McLaughlin said, “There’s always a lot of traffic on our Cariboo Highways and a lot of difficult weather. So it’s an extra concern where we see these high impaired driving numbers. This is something we have seen that’s a bit of a trend, too many people choosing to drive while impaired and it’s something we’re going to continue to work to get down.”

McLaughlin added impaired driving is a problem all year round not only during the Holiday Season.

“And BC Highway Patrol will be launching another big Summer campaign as well because whenever you’ve got people going away and using the roads, some of them will choose to drive while impaired which is very dangerous.”