The BC Highway Patrol is raving about how much enforcement action was taken on everyone driving home from Shambhala.
There was a heavy police presence in the Salmo area between July 21 to July 25. During that period, over 800 tickets were handed out and 83 drivers were charged for being impaired, according to a release from BC Highway Patrol. Additionally, dozens of cars were towed and 71 orders were issued to fix vehicle defects.
Some of the ticket offences included:
鈥 360 were for speeding
鈥 9 excessive speeding tickets
鈥 11 tickets for no insurance
鈥 11 Notice and Orders for unsafe or mechanically unsound vehicles
And as festival goers were leaving the site, BC Highway Patrol and Nelson Police were on the look out for impaired driving and unsafe vehicles. That resulted in:
鈥 Approximately 60 vehicles towed for mechanical safety or driver impairment;
鈥 59 drivers got 24-hour suspensions for drug
鈥 24 Criminal Code investigations for impairment by drugs.
鈥淭he temperatures were high and a little uncomfortable for officers working long days in full uniform,鈥 Cpl. Michael McLaughlin said in the release.
鈥淏ut it乌鸦传媒 clear this enforcement was necessary. Police officers were particularly concerned about getting impaired drivers and unsafe vehicles off the road, and they were right to be concerned.鈥