Drive safe, drive sober RCMP remind

PENTICTON – Getting home safe would be the best Christmas gift under the tree and the Penticton RCMP will work to make that happen with National Impaired Enforcement Day.

RCMP state 95 people a year are killed in crashes usually from impaired driving. On Saturday, Dec. 7 officers in Penticton and across the country want to drop that number for 2013 and will be out in force. Random sobriety checks will be conducted throughout the area. If a person is going to drink they should use public transit, a designated driver or a taxi cab to find their way home, RCMP Cpl. Ted Manchulenko.

Manchulenko said they've issued 104 immediate roadside prohibitions related to impaired driving so far this year.

The corporal also reminded everyone to stock up on basic emergency supplies. "The weather can change very quickly and even a short trip can lead you into severe winter conditions," he said. Drivers should carry extra clothing, cell phone and charger, food and water.

To contact a reporter for this story, to send photos or videos, email Shannon Quesnel at squesnel@infotelnews.ca, call 250-488-3065, send tweets to @shannonquesnel1 or @InfoNewsPentict.