Summer festivals across British Columbia bring people together to enjoy great music, local food and memorable experiences. While these events are an important part of the season, the responsibility doesn’t end when the final performer leaves the stage, or after last call at the beer garden. Planning a safe ride home and making smart decisions behind the wheel are essential to ensuring festival season is remembered for the right reasons and that everyone gets home safely.
We all like to have fun in the summer, but using common sense can help prevent accidents and ensure everyone has a great time. Recent police enforcement at two major B.C. music festivals resulted in dozens of impaired driving offences and suspensions. These incidents serve as an important reminder that impaired driving remains a serious concern, especially during festival season when celebrations often involve alcohol or other substances.
The issue was recently evident at the 2026 Sunfest Country Music Festival near Cowichan Lake. During enforcement efforts surrounding the four-day event that ran from July 30 to August 2, 2026, BC Highway Patrol recorded 36 impaired driving offences – a record for the festival and a 227 per cent increase over the previous year. The offences included nine 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibitions, several shorter prohibitions and suspensions and two 12-hour suspensions involving learner or novice drivers who had drugs or alcohol in their systems. Police also issued 153 traffic violation tickets – including six for excessive speeding. These results highlight the ongoing risks associated with impaired driving and the need for festivalgoers to plan safe transportation before attending events where alcohol or drugs may be present.
Unfortunately, Sunfest was not an isolated case. A week earlier, police reported similar concerns at the Shambhala Music Festival in Salmo, which drew an estimated 50,000 people. BC Highway Patrol reported extensive enforcement efforts targeting impaired driving and other dangerous behaviours on local roads. Officers issued 51 immediate 24-hour driving suspensions for drug impairment, conducted 85 standardized field sobriety tests and completed 30 Drug Recognition Expert evaluations.
In total, police said enforcement generated 78 drug-impaired-driving files. Additionally, 57 vehicles were impounded because of driver impairment or mechanical safety concerns. Officers also addressed speeding and other risky driving behaviours, issuing 311 speeding tickets and seven excessive-speed violations.
These findings highlight the continued risks associated with impaired driving and reinforce the importance of planning safe transportation before attending festivals and other summer events.
The consequences of impaired driving can be life-changing, affecting not only the driver but passengers, other road users and entire families. As festival season continues across British Columbia, the message is simple: if you plan to consume alcohol or drugs, plan a safe ride home. No event, concert or celebration is worth risking a crash, a licence suspension, a criminal charge or a preventable tragedy. A few minutes of planning before a night out can prevent consequences that last a lifetime. By making responsible choices behind the wheel, each of us can help keep B.C.’s roads safe and ensure everyone can enjoy the summer festivities.
Blair Qualey is President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC.
