RIDE program launched in Orillia

On Nov. 28, South Simcoe Police attended the RIDE program launch at the Ontario Provincial Police headquarters in Orillia, along with several other Simcoe County police and emergency service members.

This was the official kick off for Reducing Impaired Drivers Everywhere's holiday campaign. South Simcoe Police are committed to this philosophy and will be operating regular RIDE programs in Innisfil and Bradford West Gwillimbury throughout the holiday season.

The police service will also be liaising with our neighbouring police services - York Regional Police, Barrie Police and the Ontario Provincial Police in joint RIDE programs during the month of December.

South Simcoe Police now have a community sponsored RIDE truck that is mobile, containing approved roadside screening devices and an intoxilyzer for roadside processing. Officers will be checking for persons who are impaired by alcohol or drugs and made the wrong decision to operate a motor vehicle on our roadways. These persons put their lives and the lives of others in jeopardy by raising the odds that they will be involved in a collision that can cause personal injuries or death.

If you are apprehended and charged with this offence, your drivers licence will be suspended immediately for 90 days and your vehicle impounded. If you are convicted of the offence of impaired driving or the separate offence of having consumed alcohol in such a quantity that the concentration in the persons blood exceeds 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, the penalties range from a fine not less than $600, imprisonment of between 14 days and five years.

If you cause bodily harm, you are liable to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 10 years. If you cause death, you are liable to imprisonment for life.

This is a serious criminal offence and not socially acceptable behaviour. Police urge residents to make alternate arrangements, if they plan to drink alcohol, such as appointing a designated driver, using a taxi service or public transit, calling a sober friend or relative for a ride, or spending the night.

If you see or suspect an impaired driver on the roadway, call 911 and supply a description of the vehicle, licence plate number, the road you are on and the direction of travel. A patrol zone officer will then locate and stop the suspected vehicle if possible.