OPP Launch RIDE Program

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File photo by Owen WOlter

The OPP have kicked off its annual Festive RIDE Campaign this past Monday and have held RIDE stops in Leamington, Kingsville and Essex, stopping over one thousand vehicles, performing three road side tests resulting in one suspension.

The OPP are reminding everyone that even though we hope everyone enjoys the holiday season, we hoping that everyone does it with safety in mind. For that reason, we will be increasing the number of R.I.D.E. stops over the holidays.

Any amount of alcohol or drugs can impair someone’s ability to drive a motor vehicle and police have tools available to them that can detect the amount of alcohol or drugs in someone’s system on the spot.

OPP can issue an immediate roadside driver’s license suspension to driver’s who registers a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in the WARN range which would between .05 to .08. Anything over .08 will result in arrest and an impaired driving charge. Further OPP Drug Recognition Experts can determine if a person is impaired by drugs other than alcohol and lay an impaired driving charge.

Police rely on the public to report crime and impaired driving is crime that should be treated no different. If you suspect someone is driving or is about the drive impaired, call 9-1-1 immediately and report it. If you see someone who is impaired by alcohol or drugs and intends on driving strongly discourage them from driving and should they ignore you and intend on driving anyways, again call 9-1-1- immediately. If you plan on celebrating over the holidays, please make sure that you have alternate plans for transportation including using a designated driver, taxi, public transportation or staying the night.

In Ontario, through November 2014, impaired driving related fatalities are down 41.7% through the same period of last year but we would like to remind the public that impaired driving remains the number one cause of criminal deaths in Canada.