News release

Look at this photograph: BC Highway Patrol uses 277 Mandatory Alcohol Screenings to keep roads safe for Nickelback and Sunfest concerts

August 19, 2025 - Lake Cowichan, British Columbia
From: BC Highway Patrol

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It’s hard to say it, it’s time to say it… goodbye to your car if BC Highway Patrol stopped you driving while impaired during two Vancouver Island concerts in August.

The combined road safety efforts of BC Highway Patrol led to 226 tickets and 362 roadside breath demands. Of those breath demands, 277 were Mandatory Alcohol Screening (MAS).

“Mandatory Alcohol Screening helps move the check stops more quickly. We don’t need to form grounds for suspicion, we just read the demand, drivers give a breath, and off we go,” says Inspector Adam Tallboy, Officer in Charge of Vancouver Island BC Highway Patrol. “MAS is an incredibly useful tool for keeping roads safe, and we appreciate the patience of all the law-abiding drivers who gave them.”

On the August long weekend, BC Highway Patrol assisted local detachments around Lake Cowichan for Sunfest. BC Highway Patrol enforcement included:

• 220 roadside breath demands (158 MAS) resulting in:
  • Six 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibitions (IRP);
  • Three 3-day IRPs;
  • Two 24-hour driving prohibitions;
• Plus 172 violation tickets.

On August 9, 2025, BC Highway Patrol did road checks throughout Lake Cowichan for the Nickelback concert, which resulted in:

• 142 roadside breath demands (119 MAS) that led to:
  • 13 90-day IRPs;
  • Four 3-day IRPs;
  • One 24-hour driving prohibition;
• Plus 54 violation tickets.

“We want everyone to get home safely after great concerts like these,” says Inspector Adam Tallboy, Officer in Charge of Vancouver Island BC Highway Patrol. “We empathize that no one wants to be slowed down by a check stop, but this is how we remind you that none of our officers is trying to be a rockstar- it’s simply our job to deliver immediate consequences for driving while impaired.”

Contacts