Festive RIDE Results - Week Three  

DRPS completed its third week of the 2024 Festive RIDE program, stopping more than 4,000 vehicles and removing 16 impaired drivers from our roadways.

 

The RIDE team conducted sobriety checks across the Region with the following totals (the numbers in brackets reflect 2023 third week totals for comparison):

 

4011     (2890) Vehicles stopped by R.I.D.E.
174       (75)     People given Roadside Breath Tests
13         (5)       People received “3 Day Suspensions” for registering a “WARN”
3           (1)       Novice Driver received a 3, 7 or 30  Licence Suspension

16         (15)     People were charged with Impaired Driving Offences
0           (6)       Other Criminal Code Charges
245       (196)   Charged with various Highway Traffic Act offences
6           (0)       Drug Offences

The RIDE team battled unfavourable weather conditions during the third week, but worked through rain sleet, snow, and very cold temperatures. They had the opportunity to work alongside our partners from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). It is through continued partnerships with other enforcement agencies that we are able to provide strategic and effective enforcement and education campaigns geared towards Reducing Impaired Driving Everywhere.

 

Our total impaired driving related arrests for the first three weeks of the 2024 Festive RIDE initiative are 22.5 per cent higher than the same period last year.  The law requires fully licensed drivers to have a blood alcohol concentration less than 80 mg per 100 mL and yet our average breath sample for our arrested parties since the start of the 2024 Festive RIDE program is 154 mg per 100 mL, which is almost double the legal limit. Although this average is slightly down from the 172mg reported in the first three weeks of the 2023 RIDE, it is still not a good sign and is absolutely unacceptable. We remind everyone, “if you see something, say something”. Impaired driving is an emergency, please call 9-1-1 if you suspect an impaired driver.

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

 

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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