More than a dozen immediate roadside prohibition (IRP) cases in Williams Lake have been cancelled by RoadSafetyBC after an accuracy check revealed four B.C. RCMP detachments had used a non-certified dry gas cylinder in their of approved screening devices (ASD).
The impacted devices resulted in the cancellation of 39 IRP cases in Tofino, 13 in Vernon, 15 in Williams Lake and five in Agassiz, Superintendent Derek Cooke, Officer in Charge of the BC RCMP Traffic Services, said in a statement issued Oct. 16.
All of the affected devices were immediately removed from service and tested using the approved process.
Use of the non-certified gas cylinder was not in compliance with training standards established in December of 2014, requiring the use of a certified dry gas cylinder.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada CEO Andrew Murie said Tuesday he was disappointed, but noted every once in a while it happens across the country when the police have made a mistake in the calibration of the instruments they use.
“One of the requirements in court, whether it’s an IRP or a criminal code charge, are disclosure rules around proving the instrumentation was properly calibrated,” Murie said. “In this incident the police are saying, ‘hey, we made a mistake, we screwed up,’ and they cancelled all those IRPs they had issued.”
In light of the findings of this quality assurance check, immediate steps were taken to ensure the validity of all 2043 ASDs utilized by the BC RCMP throughout the province, Cooke said.
“While the number of affected IRPs is minimal in relation to the almost 19,000 issued last year in B.C., I must ensure that we maintain the public’s trust and confidence in the work we do on their behalf to remove impaired drivers from our roadways. To that end, I have personally ensured that we’re taking every necessary step to avoid this error in the future.”