ABOYNE – If you think you’ll have another drink before hitting the road, give that a sober second thought.
Police are always looking for impaired drivers and RIDE programs go on throughout the year.
But on Nov. 17, Wellington County OPP launched the annual Festive RIDE campaign to send a strong message to drivers: if you’ve had too much to drink or are impaired by drugs, get a cab, call a friend, head home on foot, or find accommodations close to where you are.
Don’t drink and drive.
The local detachment invited media to the first of many RIDE programs that will be carried out over the holiday season, from Nov. 17 to Jan 2.
Officers set up on Wellington Road 18 in front of the Wellington County Museum and Archives on Thursday morning, stopping motorists and checking to see if any drivers were impaired.
Staff Sergeant Dean Korn said impaired driving decreased during the pandemic, “but now we’ve had uptake to pre-pandemic levels.
“Ideally we’d like to have zero impaired drivers.”
Are people getting the message?
“It’s impossible to have a driver’s license and not know it’s illegal,” he said.
“But it’s still something people choose to do.”
There were 51 deaths in Ontario this year attributed to impaired driving.
“This ongoing, senseless loss of life is what drives the OPP’s commitment and that of our valued road safety partners to eliminate impaired driving on our roads,” OPP commissioner Thomas Carrique stated in a press release.
“If you suspect or witness impaired driving, please treat it like the dangerous crime that it is and immediately report it to police.
“Together, we can keep our roads safe during the holidays.”
Staff Sergeant Dean Korn
Korn echoed that sentiment.
“If you suspect an impaired driver is on the road, don’t hesitate to call 911,” Korn said.
“Get the plate number, a description of the car and location, and police will respond.
“Sometimes it’s a medical issue. Sometimes it’s nothing. Even if there’s no impairment, it’s still a win when you call.”
Korn said the Wellington OPP won’t be running more RIDE programs, “we’ll just be more visible.
“This is part of our mandate and every shift we do RIDES. But with more festivities now, know that we’ll be out there.”
Officers also check for aggressive driving, ensure everyone in the vehicle is wearing a seatbelt, and that drivers are not using cell phones while driving during these stops.
The Mandatory Alcohol Screening law allows police with an approved alcohol screening device to demand a roadside breath sample from any lawfully stopped driver without having reasonable suspicion that a driver is alcohol impaired.
This includes RIDE stops.
Korn said impaired drivers will be taken to the detachment and tested, and if they blow over 80mg (of alcohol per 100ml of blood in their system), they will be charged.
“Their vehicle will be towed and impounded, and their licence suspended. It can be very costly,” he said.
It’s also dangerous, not only to others, but to drivers themselves.
Korn spoke about an incident last week where a driver was found passed out on a road in Rockwood.
When tested, he blew in the 300mg range.
OPP West Region officials say 79 per cent of all charged impaired drivers are male and 32% are between 25 and 32 years old.
This is the age category with the greatest number of individuals charged with impaired driving, which remains one of the leading criminal causes of death in Canada – and it is 100% avoidable.
Young, novice and commercial drivers are reminded that, under Ontario’s zero tolerance law, it is illegal for them to have any amount of alcohol or drugs in their system.
