Stay sober for the holidays: BC Highway Patrol launches special “Light Up the Province” enforcement campaign with help from our friends
By BC RCMP
New locations, bright lights, enhanced commercial vehicle checks and stiff penalties make 2025 the best year yet to get in the sober spirit of the “Light Up the Province” campaign.
On Saturday, December 6, 2025, hundreds of officers including BC Highway Patrol, other RCMP officers, municipal police departments, and partners around the province will spend their entire shift dedicated to impaired driving enforcement. The one-night campaign is the launch of the month-long Winter Impaired Driving campaign.
“All December you’re going to have police officers working extra shifts that are totally dedicated to reducing impaired driving deaths,” says Superintendent Mike Coyle with BC Highway Patrol. “We will be using some new locations this year, and we will do whatever we can to keep roads safer. We strongly encourage anyone who is considering using alcohol or drugs to make sure they don’t drive.”
At the special launch event on December 6, 2025, at 8:00 p.m., at the North Surrey Truck Parking on Highway #17, about 600 metres east of the Port Mann Bridge in Surrey, BC Highway Patrol will be checking for impaired drivers alongside our municipal policing partners. Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) officers will also be working alongside police to identify unsafe vehicles. Media are invited to attend the photo and video-friendly event.
Other roadblocks will be happening throughout Metro Vancouver, on Vancouver Island, in North District, and throughout highways in the Kootenays, the Okanagan, and Central BC.
“We will be using Mandatory Alcohol Screening (MAS) along with more traditional tools to check sobriety, so no matter how much you’ve consumed, be prepared to blow into an Approved Screening Device,” says Superintendent Coyle. “We will get you on your way as soon as possible, but there will be some delays as part of the efforts to keep our highways safe.”
“This holiday season, let’s make planning a safe ride home part of every celebration,” said Kathleen Nadalin, ICBC road safety manager. “Choose a designated driver, rideshare, taxi, or transit and talk to your friends and family about getting a safe ride home too.”
Remember the basics of planning a safe ride home:
- Make sure your designated driver is sober;
- Use transit, taxis and rideshare instead of driving;
- Plan your parties within walking distance of your bedroom;
- Take extra steps to make sure your children, or anyone who may be exposed to extra alcohol or drugs, has a safe option to get home.
BC Highway Patrol will be on “X” updating the ongoing enforcement for Light Up the Province throughout the launch weekend on December 6 and 7. The public is invited to follow along @BCHwyPatrol to see what’s happening.
