News release

Small-town impaired drivers get consequences from a BC Highway Patrol JFO on Vancouver Island

April 14, 2026 - Tofino, British Columbia
From: BC Highway Patrol

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A Joint Force Operation (JFO) between BC Highway Patrol, Tofino RCMP and Ucluelet RCMP has taken 19 impaired drivers off the road and delivered 94 tickets to drivers who would not obey the rules of the road.

On March 27, 2026, a team of BC Highway Patrol officers traveled to the west coast of Vancouver Island to meet up with local officers for a road safety operation. 

The JFO team checked hundreds of vehicles, performed dozens of breath screening checks (including Mandatory Alcohol Screening) and Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (checking for drug impairment) and found:

• 14 alcohol suspensions ranging from 90 days to 12 hours,
• 5 drug suspensions, 
• 94 violation tickets (for various BC Motor Vehicle Act offences),
• 2 charges for driving while prohibited.

“The impaired drivers were roughly 50/50 split between locals and visitors,” says Corporal Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. “That means everyone needs to make better decisions: Plan a safe ride home no matter who you are. If you don’t, you’ll face fines and suspensions- or even worse consequences.”

BC Highway Patrol wants to remind drivers that specialized units, such as the Integrated Impaired Driving Unit (IIDU) and Integrated Road Safety Unit (IRSU) are travelling to communities around the province where road safety is an issue.

“Sometimes we find too much complacency when people live or visit our small communities,” says Corporal McLaughlin. “You can’t take a holiday from good decisions on our roads. You need to plan ahead even if you don’t have far to go or the roads aren’t as busy.”

Contacts