13 drunk drivers stopped by Kamloops RCMP last weekend

Kamloops RCMP removed 13 drunk drivers from the road last weekend, starting on Friday evening.

“It is concerning to see how many impaired drivers are still on the roadway on any given night," Kamloops RCMP spokesperson Const. Crystal Evelyn said in a news release.

Kamloops RCMP are reminding the public about the signs of a potential drunk driver, along with what punishments are in store for those who are caught.

On Oct. 22 a woman was extracted from her car following a crash in the Valleyview area around 6:25 p.m.

She emerged with no "obvious" injuries, but when police had her submit to a breath test, she failed and was prohibited from driving for 90 days. Her vehicle was also impounded for 30 days.

A 90-day prohibition and 30-day vehicle impoundment is the standard penalty for those drivers exceeding the legal .08 blood-alcohol content.

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RCMP held check stops for traffic near Greenfield Avenue and Desmond Street later that night where four impaired drivers were removed from the road.

Impaired drivers weren't centred in any one area of the city as others on Friday night were stopped on Tranquille Road, Barnhartvale Road and the Highway 1 off-ramp to Battle Street where their licenses were suspended and vehicles impounded.

Officers on patrol Friday night also came across an uninsured van travelling "well under" the speed limit around 11:30 p.m., police say.

They pulled the van over near Columbia and Nicola streets where the driver not only failed a breath test, but her license was already suspended.

She was given a ticket for driving without insurance and will later appear in court for driving while prohibited.

On Oct. 23, an off-duty officer witnessed a driver exit his vehicle to argue with someone on the street on the 200-block of Whitburn Crescent.

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Around 5:40 p.m., the officer tried to break up the argument then detained the driver until on-duty RCMP could respond.

The man who was detained submitted to a breath test and failed.

Officers later removed another impaired driver from the road on the same night who had driven through a front yard fence on Surrey Avenue around 7:30 p.m., RCMP said.

Police then pulled over two more impaired drivers early Sunday morning.

On Oct. 24, one was caught around 1 Avenue and Columbia Street just before 3 a.m., and the second around Columbia Street and 7 Avenue around 4:30 a.m.

Kamloops RCMP are reminding the public to watch for multiple signs of impaired drivers. Those include swerving, erratic movements, quick changes in speed, speeding or driving very slowly and drivers who look like they may be falling asleep.

Impaired drivers can be a risk to the public nearby, so police urge the public to call 9-1-1 if an impaired driver is suspected, with emphasis on passing along the license plate number, a vehicle and driver description and the location of the vehicle.

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