Williams Lake RCMP Sgt. Bob Verbree of the traffic division says that new legislation around drinking and driving in B.C. is working.
Over the holiday season the RCMP weren’t finding many impaired drivers at all.
“When we look at the greater good, it’s very good for all of us. Our roads are safer,” Verbree says, adding it will be interesting to see the statistics for the whole province when they come out.
Safer communities co-ordinator Dave Dickson agrees and says Operation Red Nose did its part, giving 257 rides to 561 people over the month of December.
Most of the calls for New Year’s Eve were to private parties around town, and some from hotels later in the evening.
“We had 124 volunteers and travelled 4,388 kilometres.
“It was uneventful and the people were great and all happy to arrive home safely with their vehicles. We only give rides to people who have vehicles,” Dickson says, adding that users of the service donated more than $7,000.
Some of the money will be held over to start up the program in 2012, but most of it will be divided among KidSport, the Blue Fins, the Williams Lake Skating Club, and the Williams Lake Gymnastics Club, whose members helped volunteer with the driving.