Alcohol-impaired driving
If your activities involve drinking, plan ahead for a safe ride home. Arrange a designated driver, call a taxi, a friend, or a ride-hailing service, or take transit. If you’ve been drinking at home, stay home and don’t drive.
Get home safely
Sadly, each year in B.C., 64 people die in crashes involving impaired driving. Almost a third of these happen in the summer and some occur during the December holidays.
No matter what time of year, there are many options to get home safely if you've had a drink or two. So, whether it's after work or play, make the smart choice. Remember, the best time to decide how to get home responsibly is before you start drinking.
Police across the province look for impaired drivers at CounterAttack roadchecks during summer and winter. ICBC supports enforcement activities such as roadchecks to help make our roads safer for everyone.
The price of impaired driving
B.C. has the toughest drinking and driving laws in Canada. If you’re caught driving impaired, you could face these penalties:
You may also have to pay a Driver Risk Premium, on top of your insurance.
If you crash while driving impaired, you're likely in breach of your insurance policy. That means you could be personally responsible for 100 percent of the costs if you damage someone else's property or injure them.
Plan ahead
Getting home safe is a shared responsibility. Take your turn being the designated driver — your friends and family will thank you. If no one is able to be a designated driver, there are still plenty of options for you to get home. Leave your car overnight and consider taking a taxi, transit, using a ride-hailing service, or calling a friend.
When you drink and drive, you not only risk your life but those of others on the road. With so many options to get home safely, there is no excuse to drive while impaired.
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