Celebrate the new year safely

Police are stepping up enforcement of impaired driving at CounterAttack roadchecks across the province.

Joanna Linsangan says ICBC is urging everyone to drive smart and make a plan before the festivities to get home safely……

On New Year’s Eve alone, one person is killed and 170 people are injured in 620 crashes in all of B.C.

Every year on New Year’s Eve, an average of 20 people are injured in 80 crashes on Vancouver Island.

Transit users in the Cowichan Valley Regional Transit System will not be offered free transit service on New Year’s eve.

Most of the buses will be running on a Sunday schedule both New Year’s eve day and New Year’s Day.

There will be no service in Ladysmith, Youbou and Honeymoon Bay.

Neither the Duncan Commuter nor the Shawnigan Lake Commuter are running again until Tuesday (Jan 2).

The new Route 44 is not running again until January 3rd.

In the Cowichan Valley there will be a New Year’s Eve Family Celebration at the Island Savings Centre.

The free event includes skating, face painting, a bouncy castle, a photo booth, and other new activities.

The early countdown will take place at 7:45 and it will be accompanied with the popular balloon drop.

The event runs from 5 to 8 tomorrow night (Sun).