Saanich police say they took a record number of impaired drivers off the municipality’s roads in 2024.
The 628 drivers who had their licences suspended surpassed the previous record of 468 in 2023 and was the highest number on Saanich streets since the province started the Immediate Roadside Prohibition program in 2010.
Chief Const. Dean Duthie said the trend is “concerning.” He called impaired driving “selfish,” saying it endangers everyone in the community.
Of the 628 impaired drivers whose licences were suspended, 39 only had a learner’s, or Class 7, licence, while 18 were already under driving prohibitions and 10 were subject to the ignition interlock program. Twenty-one had completed the interlock program.
The ignition interlock system, for drivers who have received alcohol-related driving prohibitions, uses a device wired into a vehicle’s ignition system. It requires the driver to provide a breath sample and prevents the vehicle from starting if alcohol is detected.
Program participants are required to have the device installed in all the vehicles they drive, at their own expense.
Overall, 110 drivers lost their licences for 24 hours because of alcohol and another 43 lost their licences for 24 hours due to drug impairment, while 178 drivers lost their license for three days, 11 for seven days and two for 30 days.
Ninety-day suspensions were handed out to 278 drivers — 103 more than in 2023, according to police.
The 90-day immediate roadside-suspension category saw the largest increase year over year, police said.
Those drivers either failed a roadside screening test or refused to provide a breath sample, resulting in a three-month licence suspension and their vehicles being impounded for 30 days.
“While I recognize and commend our officers for their commitment, hard work and dedication to ensure that Saanich streets are safe, setting records for impaired drivers caught in back-to-back years is very concerning,” Duthie said in a statement on Wednesday.
Duthie said many safe transportation options are available for those who are impaired, such as public transit, ride sharing and identifying a designated driver. “It just requires some planning and responsibility.”
The chief said Saanich police will continue to allocate resources to take impaired drivers off the streets and “ensure they face the consequences of their dangerous decisions and actions.”
