Festive RIDE Results - Week Five

DRPS completed its fifth week of the 2024 Festive RIDE program, stopping more than 2,300 vehicles and charging 21 drivers with impaired driving offences. More than 200 drivers were given roadside breath tests.

Durham Regional officers conducted RIDE checks throughout the Region with the following totals (the numbers in brackets reflect 2023 week five totals for comparison):

2323      (1973)  Vehicles stopped by RIDE
218         (61)     People given Roadside Breath Tests
15            (6)      People received “3 Day Suspensions” for registering a “WARN”
 3             (4)      Novice Driver received a 3, 7 or 30  Licence Suspension
21          (17)      People were charged with Impaired Driving Offences

31          (26)       Impaired/Exceed/ Refuse charged laid.
18          (26)      Other Criminal Code Charges
171       (101)     Charged with various Highway Traffic Act offences
2             (0)       Drug Offences

This week the RIDE team worked in partnership with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Durham, as well as DRPS auxiliary constables. DRPS would like to thank all of the citizens who called 911 to report suspected impaired drivers. Many of these calls led to arrests and removed impaired drivers from our roads. This is a prime example of how it takes the entire community working together to improve the safety of our roadways. If you see something, say something. Impaired driving is an emergency, call 911 to report suspected impaired drivers.

During the first five weeks, the 2024 Festive RIDE Team has arrested and charged 86 drivers for impaired related driving offences. That is only one less than the entire six-week campaign in 2023. With still a week to go, including New Year’s Eve, it looks like we will see an increase over last year. This is unacceptable. We urge drivers to make the right choice, plan ahead, use alternative transportation or have a designated driver.

A designated driver is someone who should abstain completely from alcohol or drug consumption before driving. This week, one motorist learned this the hard way, receiving a 90 Day licence suspension and a court date, after deciding they would be the designated driver because they drank less than their passenger.

A complete list of those charged with Impaired/Exceed is posted on our website drps.ca under RIDE Results.

Note: Under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, anyone charged with a criminal impaired driving offence will have their driver’s licence suspended for ninety days and their vehicle impounded automatically for seven days.

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