Police catch 18 drunk and drug-impaired drivers in Fraser Valley community

An officer holds a breathalyzer device in this file photo. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck)

Police nabbed an alarming number of drunk or drug-impaired drivers in Abbotsford, B.C., over the long weekend – including 11 on Friday night alone.

Sgt. Paul Walker of the Abbotsford Police Department said officers had caught 18 impaired drivers by Monday afternoon, which is unusual for this time of year.

“That number is pretty concerning to us,” Walker said. “People are not making great choices driving home from their destinations, their office parties, their night out with a friend.”

The 11 drivers pulled over on Friday were caught within a four-hour window, from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., Walker said.

With the holiday season and related festivities approaching, Abbotsford police urged revelers to plan ahead, which could mean anything from arranging for a designated driver to using Operation Red Nose.

Motorists can use the Operation Red Nose website or app to have a volunteer drive them home in their own vehicle, but only in certain communities on certain dates. 

“There’s no excuse to drive home impaired,” Walker added. “We have ride-hailing services, we have taxis.”

Those who decide to take their chances and drive home under the influence of alcohol or drugs could face anything from an immediate roadside suspension to criminal charges, Walker warned.

“We will be out there every day, every night looking for impaired drivers – and if we find you, we will hold you accountable,” he said.

According to the Abbotsford Police Department, officers have taken approximately 650 impaired drivers off the roads so far this year, including more than 100 who were impaired by drugs.

By comparison, there were 722 alleged impaired drivers nabbed in the community last year, 120 of whom were impaired by drugs.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Kevin Charach