RIDE takes aim at impaired drivers

The holiday season is almost upon us, and the Ontario Provincial Police wants to remind the motoring public of the danger of mixing alcohol with driving. From Nov. 29 to Jan. 2, the OPP will team up with police services across the province for the annual Festive R.I.D.E. (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) campaign.

Impaired driving remains the leading criminal cause of death in Canada. OPP officers will be out in your neighbourhood in an effort to remove the threat of the impaired driver, and reduce the death toll on Ontario roads.

Last year, during the five-week OPP Festive R.I.D.E. Initiative, officers stopped 576,875 vehicles at roadside

checkpoints, 278 persons were charged with criminal code alcohol-related offences and a total of 671 12-hour licence suspensions were issued. Officers also issued 270 of the 90-day Administrative Drivers Licence Suspensions. For every 608 vehicles checked at our RIDE locations, one driver was either charged with an impaired driving related charge or was issued a 12-hour licence suspension. This is not acceptable!

Unfortunately during the Festive RIDE campaign last year, officers investigated 37 fatal collisions in which 45 people lost their lives. Three of these deaths were alcohol related. This needless and tragic loss of life must stop!

As O.P.P.Commissioner Fantino stated in his speech of Nov. 16: "Impaired drivers put innocent people at risk every time they get behind the wheel and they must be stopped! Impaired drivers directly cause lifealtering tragedies, all of them absolutely preventable."

"The carnage, the loss of life, the loss of productivity, the enormous health costs and the trauma that is associated with the loss of a loved one are sobering realities of an almost acceptable consequence of the human condition."

OPP officers will be doing their part to remove impaired drivers from our roadways. Please do yours by not drinking and driving.