BC Highway Patrol removes over 600 drivers during the 2025 Summer Impaired Driving 

BC Highway Patrol says it took 626 impaired drivers off the road over the summer months. The numbers were tallied between June 15 and August 31.

Police say the results of the Summer Impaired Driving Campaign show that impaired driving is an issue everywhere, and it’s a particular problem in the north and central BC.

Superintendent Mike Coyle says this year’s campaign is a graphic illustration of why we all need to do better staying sober while driving, noting that impaired driving is the leading cause of criminal death in BC.

BC Highway Patrol stopped multiple drivers for speeding only to discover they were also impaired. Speeding and impaired driving are consistently two of the three most significant contributors to fatal collisions in BC (distracted driving is the third).

Considering the smaller population, northern BC continues to have the highest total of driving prohibitions, criminal charges, and drug prohibitions with 146 people caught over the summer. There were 150 in Metro Vancouver and 131 on Vancouver Island, 15 of which were drug-related impairments.

Coyle says drug-impaired driving is a particular issue in the Kootenays, though it’s an increasing problem everywhere with serious and fatal collisions.

Throughout the province, BC Highway Patrol has been expanding the application of Mandatory Alcohol Screening, which allows police officers to demand an immediate breath sample from any driver who is lawfully stopped. There is no longer any need to develop a reasonable suspicion that a driver has alcohol in their system. Drivers who refuse the breath demand are committing a criminal offence that leads to penalties similar to impaired driving charges.