Official News Release Download
Abbotsford Police Department’s Traffic Enforcement Unit Launches
“Choose Your Ride”
Today marks the start of British Columbia’s Police Winter CounterAttack Campaign. In BC, on average, 64 people die every year in crashes involving impaired drivers. Approximately 23 percent of all car crash fatalities are related to impaired driving. Last December, Abbotsford Police (AbbyPD) officers removed 75 impaired drivers from our Abbotsford roads.
This December, AbbyPD’s Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) is rolling out the “Choose Your Ride” campaign as a visual reminder for drivers to plan ahead and choose a safe ride home this holiday season. TEU will deploy an AbbyPD police vehicle with the front wrapped as a traditional police vehicle and the back wrapped as a traditional yellow taxi.
This campaign intends to act as a visual reminder for potential impaired drivers to choose arranging a safe ride home or risk tough enforcement penalties, which may include jail time. The AbbyPD consists of highly trained officers skilled in detecting drug and alcohol impairment during roadside screening.
“Our frontline staff are dedicated to removing impaired drivers from our roadways this holiday season. Attending impaired driving crashes where serious injury or death occurs is something none of us like to do. Those images never leave, nor does the trauma of telling a loved one that their family member is never coming home. Victims and their family members are left with a lifetime of grief when their lives have been affected by impaired driving. Please make it a priority this holiday season to arrange a safe ride home by calling a Taxi or ride-hailing service or arranging a friend or family member to get you home safe”,
says Sergeant Paul Walker – AbbyPD’s Traffic Enforcement Unit.
Cst. Art Stele
Media Relations Officer
Abbotsford Police Department