Police caught an alarming number of drunk or drug-impaired drivers in Abbotsford, BC over the long weekend – including 11 on Friday night alone.

Sgt. Paul Walker of the Abbotsford Police Department said officers had caught 18 impaired drivers by Monday afternoon, which is unusual for this time of year.

“That number is pretty concerning to us,” Walker said. “People don’t make great choices driving home from destinations, office parties, their night out with a friend.”

The 11 drivers pulled over Friday were caught in a four-hour window between 8 p.m. and 12 a.m., Walker said.

With the holiday season and related festivities approaching, Abbotsford police urged revelers to plan ahead, which could mean anything from arranging a designated driver to using Operation Red Nose.

Drivers can use the Operation Red Nose website or app to have a volunteer drive them home in their own vehicle, but only in certain communities on certain dates.

“There is no excuse for driving home impaired,” Walker added. “We have transport services, we have taxis.”

Those who decide to take a chance and drive home under the influence of alcohol or drugs could face anything from an immediate suspension from the road to criminal charges, Walker warned.

“We’ll be out there every day, every night looking for impaired drivers — and if we find you, we’ll hold you accountable,” he said.

According to the Abbotsford Police Department, officers have taken about 650 impaired drivers off the road so far this year, including more than 100 who were impaired by drugs.

By comparison, there were 722 suspected impaired drivers caught in the community last year, 120 of whom were drug-impaired.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Kevin Charach