News release
Richmond RCMP asks drivers to plan a sober ride home this summer
June 23, 2026
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Richmond, British Columbia
From: Richmond RCMP
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Content
A mock crash at McMath secondary and continued roadside checks kickstart Richmond RCMP’s summer impaired-driving campaign.
As summer begins, Richmond RCMP is asking every driver to settle one thing before they go out: how they are getting home. A designated driver, a taxi or rideshare, transit, or staying the night– the plan matters less than having one. It’s a choice that protects you and everyone else on the road.
Summer is the highest-risk stretch of the year for impaired driving in B.C. According to ICBC, an average of 65 people are killed each year in police-reported crashes involving impaired driving, and those deaths climb from June through October. About one in five fatal crashes in the province involve a driver impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Seeing it for real
On May 20, Richmond RCMP held its first mock crash at R.A. McMath secondary, working alongside Richmond Fire-Rescue, BC Emergency Health Services, and ICBC. Students watched a staged collision play out in real time, with crews cutting into a wrecked car, treating “injured” classmates and walking them through what happens after a single bad decision behind the wheel.
Transcript
Video description:
Description: A video showing a mock crash Richmond RCMP staged for students to warn them the dangers of driving impaired.
[Over a blurry picture of a crushed car, a title reads: "WARNING. The following video depicts a simulated collision, including staged injuries, as part of a road-safety demonstration. Viewer discretion is advised.”]
[A firefighter saws through a car door frame.]
[A group of firefighters remove the roof of the car.]
[A police car flashes its lights.]
[A police officer checks on the passenger with injuries in the car.]
[Firefighters and paramedics lift a person on a stretcher into an ambulance.]
“What’s really going on here?”
[The video pauses as the word “STOP” appears in the top corner.]
“Let’s Rewind.”
[The video plays back as the word “REW” (as in Rewind) appears in the top corner.]
[An RCMP officer speaks to camera.]
Cpl. Roy Wong - “We want to show students the real-world consequences of impaired driving, so we’re staging a car crash”
[In a gymnasium, the police officer speaks in front of a projector screen to students.]
[From the bleachers, students listen to the officer.]
“First, students watch a video of kids their age making the choice to drive under the influence.”
[A video plays on a projector screen to a large group of students.]
[The video plays while a student watches.]
[Outside the school, students surround two staged crashed vehicles. Police and firefighters are on the mock scene.]
“Then we brought them outside to the crash site, where student actors recreated the aftermath of that decision.”
[At the crash scene, paramedics, firefighters and police work together next to the crashed vehicles.]
[A student paints red make-up on another student's arm.]
[The student gets fake blood dabbed on their face to make it look like they have a wound.]
[A student with fake blood sits in the passenger seat of the crashed car. Another student, also with fake wounds, peeks through the driver's window and smiles.]
“By witnessing this firsthand, students can understand how a single choice impacts not just them, but also their friends and others in our community.”
[During the simulation, a police officer checks on the student actors in the vehicle.]
[Firefighters pull the “wounded” student out of the car.]
[Other students watch the crash scene, as firefighters gain access to the crashed car.]
[Two officers speak with two other student actors who are pretending to be witnesses.]
[A paramedic pulls out a stretcher from the ambulance.]
[A firefighter cuts into the car.]
[A young student speaks to camera. The title appears reading: “Student. McMath Secondary School.”]
“You know, everyone says the same thing. Don’t drink. Don’t drive. But, it’s so much more real when you see it in person…”
[Three student actors with fake wounds sit next to each other.]
[Firefighters and paramedics pretend to do CPR on one of the actors.]
[An RCMP officer speaks to the students watching the mock crash next to a paramedic.]
[The young student speaks to camera.]
“... and I think that just influenced me so much more.
[A sign reads: “Youth on average are involved in 69 crashes everyday in B.C.” “Stay safe behind the wheel”]
[An RCMP officer speaks to camera.] “We hope this demonstration helps students make smart choices every time they get behind the wheel."
[RCMP/GRC copyright notice appears.]
[Government of Canada wordmark with a waving Canadian flag appears.]
The point was to put the whole experience in front of students together, heading into grad season,, so the consequences of one bad decision feel real before they get behind the wheel.
“People can watch a video or see a photo, but when you see it happen in front of you, with your own classmates, it lands differently,” said Cpl. Frank Bryson, Richmond RCMP Media Relations Officer. “We wanted students to see what a crash actually pulls in – the firefighters, the paramedics, the families – and to talk about it with each other, and with their parents and teachers.”
Richmond RCMP is looking at holding more of these scenarios at other schools.
What you can expect on the road
Throughout the summer, Richmond RCMP’s Road Safety Unit will continue running sobriety check stops and using mandatory alcohol screening. Under mandatory alcohol screening, officers can require a breath sample from any driver they lawfully stop, and refusing to provide one is itself a criminal offence.
The consequences are not small. A driver found in the warn or fail range faces an immediate roadside prohibition, vehicle impoundment, and monetary penalties. Criminal impairment can mean Criminal Code charges, a longer driving prohibition, mandatory installation of an ignition interlock, and possible jail. A crash while impaired can also put a driver in breach of their insurance, leaving them personally responsible for the costs.
“We run these check stops because they work,” said Sgt. Stephen Large, Richmond RCMP Road Safety Unit. “Mandatory screening means a routine stop can become a breath test for every driver, and most people we talk to understand that and plan ahead. If you’ve been drinking or using drugs, the only safe choice is to not be behind the wheel in the first place.”
Plan ahead, every time
If your summer plans include alcohol or other drugs, plan your way home before you go out. Designate a driver, take transit, or book a taxi or rideshare. The options are everywhere, and using one keeps you, and everyone else on the road, safe.
These crashes are preventable. Planning ahead is the simplest choice you can make, and the one that matters most.
Never drive impaired.