Victoria and Esquimalt are already set to eclipse the number of impaired drivers nabbed in last year's Counter Attack road-check campaign.
Officers took 29 impaired drivers off the road in the first weekend of the CounterAttack program - more than half the 52 impaired driving prohibitions handed out in the five-week 2011 campaign.
With no beefed-up police presence this year to account for the change, it's clear anti-drinking and driving messages are not getting through to motorists of all ages, said spokesman Const. Mike Russell - despite an overall drop in impaired-driving deaths around the province.
"Yes, we're happy we got that many impaired drivers off the road, but at the same time, why are we taking 29 impaired drivers off the road?" he said. "You have to think that people are blatantly ignoring the message and putting other people at risk."
Figures from both 2011 and this year include all immediate roadside driving prohibitions, ranging from 12-hour suspensions to 90-day suspensions.
The numbers run counter to a provincial trend that has seen drinking-and-driving deaths drop by 46 per cent since tough new laws were introduced in 2010.
Alcohol-related traffic deaths have fallen to an average of 62 per year for the past two years, down from about 114 in each of the previous five years, according to government data from two weeks ago.
Considering the trend, it's disappointing to see such high numbers in Victoria and Esquimalt, police say. "It's frustrating. We know that even one drink impairs your ability to drive," Russell said.
During the first weekend, VicPD officers handed out seven 90-day prohibitions for people with blood-alcohol levels higher than .08 and 13 three-day prohibitions for those with alcohol levels between .05 and 0.8.
Five people were handed 24-hour suspensions for illegal drug use, while three young drivers were given 12-hour suspensions for having alcohol levels between .01 to .05. One driver refused to give a breath sample, which is considered a fail and comes with a 90-day driving prohibition.
Officers handed out 143 tickets for Motor Vehicle Act violations. Police also found 19 vehicle-safety infractions and ordered inspections.
The CounterAttack program will continue through the holiday season.
