Intoxicated taxi driver stopped during Maple Ridge RCMP road-safety blitz

An intoxicated taxi driver received an immediate roadside prohibition during a weekend road-safety blitz by Maple Ridge RCMP. The RCMP Road Safety Target Team partnered with Metro Vancouver Transit Police for enforcement across the city, including roaming impaired-driving checks.

Police also stopped another driver with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.22 per cent, nearly three times the legal limit. On Lougheed Highway, officers recorded a top speed of 163 km/h in an 80 km/h zone. The driver received an excessive-speeding ticket and the vehicle was immediately impounded. Officers also conducted distracted-driving and seatbelt checks downtown.

Using automated licence-plate recognition technology, officers identified people driving unlawfully or involved in other criminal activity and conducted impairment checks outside establishments. They also educated residents and enforced rules involving e-micromobility devices.

In a recent stop, an officer stopped a resident riding an e-unicycle at 80 km/h on a public road. The rider received a $598 ticket for having no insurance and was told that the devices are illegal on B.C. public roads. Police said the devices do not meet provincial safety standards, lacking turn signals and headlamps and having low visibility, among other safety shortcomings.

Maple Ridge RCMP said officers will continue working through the fall with agencies including CPKC Police, ICBC and the City of Maple Ridge on community road-safety enforcement. The detachment urged people to slow down, plan ahead and stay informed about community safety.