A Burnaby, B.C. woman has been issued a 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP) after failing a breath test. She was travelling in a white Kia west bound in the east bound lanes with a flat tire on Highway 1 near Lynn Valley exit.
Officers were quickly dispatched and located the vehicle near Westview Drive exit on the highway, after multiple reports and calls. The vehicle had stopped in front of a flagger’s vehicle after the flagger noticed the Kia traveling the wrong way with 3 functional tires.
When officers engaged with the driver of the Kia, they noted signs of impairment. An impaired investigation was launched. The driver, a Burnaby woman in her thirties, was administered a road side breath test and provided a sample of Fail. She was issued a 90-day immediate roadside prohibition and the vehicle was impounded for 30 days.
“Wrong way drivers on a highway pose an extreme danger to motorists, especially when they are impaired,” said Constable Mansoor Sahak, Media Relations Officer for the North Vancouver RCMP. “Fortunately, officers were able to act quickly and with assistance of the public were able to locate this dangerous driver before a collision occurred.”
If you witness a suspected impaired driver, call police as soon as it is safe to do so. Try and provide as much information about the vehicle (make, model, license plate), the driver (physical description), the vehicle’s direction of travel and what activity you observed (weaving, swerving off the road, etc.).
The Risks of Impaired Driving
Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs is often a prominent factor to serious and fatal motor vehicle incidents. The consequences of impaired driving can be severe and have the ability to change the course of one’s life. B.C. has the toughest drinking and driving laws in Canada. If you’re caught driving impaired, you could face these penalties:
Driving suspensions from 24 hours to 90 days
Vehicle impoundment
Fines, from $600 and up to $4,060
Jail time
Mandatory rehabilitation
Installation of ignition interlock in your vehicle
You may also have to pay a Driver Risk Premium, on top of your insurance, and if you crash while driving impaired, you’re likely in breach of your insurance policy. That means you could be personally responsible for 100 per cent of the costs if you damage someone else’s property or injure them (source: ICBC).
