The Mounties in B.C. say fewer drunk drivers were caught in roadblocks across the province this holiday season compared to previous years.
They say preliminary numbers from areas policed by the RCMP show 961 people were charged with impaired driving and other offences during the CounterAttack program from Dec. 2 to Jan. 2nd, compared to 1,434 in the same period last year.
Almost 350 drivers were given 90-day driving suspensions, another 272 got three-day driving bans and 135 were given drug-related 24-hour suspensions.
Corp. Robert McDonald of RCMP Traffic Services says good media coverage of the new impaired driving laws and penalties has helped people make better choices about drinking and driving.
Although they found fewer impaired drivers, RCMP officers handed out about 3,000 other tickets during the CounterAttack program, including 1,419 drivers who were using an electronic device.
Another 213 were caught speeding and 1,364 tickets were written for seatbelt violations.
