POLICE STEP UP COUNTER ATTACK

As the festive holiday season approaches there is an increase in social
activity. Much of that activity will involve alcohol, drug use and
driving.

"A majority of impaired drivers come from private functions involving
friends, family or colleagues," says BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation
executive director Allan Lamb. "Allowing someone to leave your company who
may be impaired should not be an option. Getting behind the wheel if you
are impaired is simply irresponsible."

Impaired driving is a criminal offence. Both alcohol and drugs, illicit or
prescription, will impair a person's ability to drive a vehicle, and when
drugs are mixed with alcohol the effects on one's ability to drive are
compounded.

There is an increase in impaired drivers that are impaired by both drugs
and alcohol or drugs alone.

"It is astounding how drugs are taking the place of alcohol with impaired
drivers," commented Lamb. "There is a perception that drugs like marijuana
or prescription medications have little or no effect on driver
performance. That is simply not true."

This year police are committing more resources to the CounterAttack
roadblocks in a focused campaign to apprehend and prosecute all impaired
drivers.

In B.C. there are over 1,100 officers that have been trained to recognize
alcohol and drug impairment in drivers. There are over 120 additional
officers whose goal is to determine through lab tests what drugs the
driver may have consumed and assess the level of impairment.

This is good news to the BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation and the parents of
Alexa Middelaer, who lost her life in May of 2008 at the hands of a
56-year-old woman who was charged with impaired driving causing bodily
harm and death, and two charges of dangerous driving causing bodily harm
and death.

In memory of Alexa, the BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation has established the
Alexa Middelaer Memorial Fund to further educate the public about the
dangers of impaired driving; advocate for changes to policies and
processes around impaired driving crimes, and to recognize those
individuals who make an extraordinary contribution to fight against
impaired driving.

For tips on how to have a safe holiday season or for information about how
you can make a donation to the Alexa Middelaer Memorial Fund contact the
BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation's website www.bcaatsf.ca.

About BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation

BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation is a non-profit registered charity working
with families, communities and business partners to reduce the number and
severity of traffic crashes and injuries in B.C. For more information
visit www.BCAATSF.ca.