Long weekends are a time of focus for police trying to reduce the deaths and injuries that typically increase with holiday traffic.
"Over the past five years, there have been 1,950 crashes, 540 injuries and three fatalities over the B.C. Day long weekend throughout the province," said Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Shirley Bond.
"It's quite simple: if you drink, don't drive. Too many families suffer needlessly because of someone's poor decision."
The numbers are improving, said Prince George RCMP spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass.
"There are some positive signs overall, but that can all be unimportant to the individual victims. We want everyone to do everything possible to stay safe on the roads and prevent any fatality or serious injury," he said.
"We will be out as usual on this long weekend, and North District will have their traffic units also on duty. Through the Counterattack program Prince George city traffic police will have increased patrols from now until Labour Day specifically for impaired driving."
According to RCMP statistics released on Friday, the introduction of the Immediate Roadside Prohibition penalties have been showing life-saving results.
Between October, 2010 (when the new penalties took effect) and June, 2011 a total of 209 traffic fatalities occurred on British Columbia roadways, 36 of these were determined to be alcohol related. This is down from a high of 323 fatalities, 97 of which were alcohol related, that occurred over the same period in 2005-06.
Douglass said it was not just the big factors - impaired and aggressive driving - that do damage to highway users.
Speeding kills, he said, and so do distractions. Don't touch your cell phone, don't use handheld devises, don't pass items around the cabin, and don't allow anyone to go without a proper seat restraint.
"Always be patient out there and keep a safety-first mindset," he said.
Bond added the need to keep an alert mind, while driving. She said that driver fatigue kills 20 and injures almost 700 British Columbians each year. Alcohol and driving kills about 130 B.C. motorists each year.
