On February 10^th, 2014 at 12:30 am Oak Bay Police were conducting an impaired driving checkpoint on Cadboro Bay Road at Eastdowne Rd.  A 39 yr old Victoria male operating a Toyota Sequoia was checked.  The driver had the odour of liquor on his breath and a subsequent roadside breath test resulted in an immediate 3 day driving prohibition. The office elected not to impound the motor vehicle as the driver’s wife and two children were also present in the vehicle and the driver’s wife was sober and capable of driving the vehicle.

On February 10^th, 2014 at 02:03am Oak Bay Police observed a speeding vehicle eastbound on Cadboro Bay Rd near Cranmore Rd.  Upon stopping the vehicle and speaking with the driver, the officer detected the odour of liquor on his breath.  A subsequent roadside breath test was taken with a FAIL  reading being obtained.  The driver was given the opportunity for a second test on a different instrument and that reading also indicated FAIL.   The driver, a 62 year old Oak Bay resident was given an immediate 90 day driving prohibition and his motor vehicle, a Toyota 4 Runner, was impounded for 30 days.

On February 14^th, 2014 at 01:09am police received a report of mischief  to the HSBC Bank on Oak Bay Ave.  Obscenities had been spray painted with red paint on the exterior of the bank.  A witness provided a detailed description of the responsible person.  Upon arrival, police also observed that the CIBC bank on Oak Bay Ave had also been spray painted with the same red colouring.  At 01:15am officers observed a male riding a bike west in the 2200 block of Oak Bay Ave and this male exactly matched the description given by the witness.  This person had  a spray can of red paint in his shoulder bag.   He provided a false name and birthday to police.  The 22 yr old Saanich resident was arrested by police but would not cooperate and was forcibly handcuffed.  Police are recommending criminal charges of mischief and obstructing a police officer.

On February 16^th, 2014 at 01:00am a 17 yr old Saanich male had just finished swimming at the Oak Bay Rec Centre when he noticed his black iPhone missing.  It had been stored in an unlocked locker in the mens change area while he swam.  These types of thefts are common in public facilities and police urge the public not to leave valuables in unlocked areas.

On February 16^th, 2014 at 11:14am Oak Bay Police stopped a 23 yr old Saanich man driving his 2003 Acura for failing to wear his seatbelt.  While speaking to the driver, the officer detected the odour of liquor on the driver’s breath. The driver was in possession of a class 7 B.C. driver’s licence which has a restriction of zero alcohol in the body when driving.  A road side breath test was conducted and confirmed alcohol in the driver’s body.  An immediate 12 hour driving prohibition was issued along with traffic tickets for driving contrary to his licencing restrictions and failing to wear his seatbelt.

This time of year, the west coast tends to experience a significant quantity of rainfall.  Heavy rainfall on the road surface can easily contribute to hydroplaning.  Hydroplaning is a loss of steering or braking control when a layer of water prevents direct contact between tires and the road.  A motor vehicle relies upon the friction that exists between the tires and the road in order to accelerate, decelerate, or change direction.  The grooves in the tread of the tires disperse water from beneath the tires thereby providing friction even on wet surfaces.  Hydroplaning occurs when the tires encounter more water than they can dissipate and the tires lift off the road and literally skate on a film of water.  Friction is lost as is control of the vehicle.   When encountering rain, especially heavy rain, it is essential to slow down to allow the tread of the tire to do its job.   Tires that are worn with little or no tread remaining, contribute significantly to hydroplaning.