Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) completed its first week of the 2025 Festive RIDE program, stopping more than 2,800 vehicles and charging 13 drivers with impaired driving offences.
Officers conducted checks throughout the Region of Durham with the following totals (the numbers in brackets reflect 2024 first week totals for comparison):
- Vehicles stopped: 2812 (2606)
- People given Roadside Breath Tests: 86 (60)
- People received three-day suspensions for registering a ‘Warn’: 11 (10)
- Novice driver received a 3-, 7- or 30-day licence suspension: 1 (1)
- People charged with impaired driving offences: 13 (16)
- Impaired/ refuse / exceed charges laid: 18 (22)
- People arrested for non impaired related offences: 10 (3)
- Other Criminal Code charges laid: 19 (3)
- Charged with various Highway Traffic Act offences: 264 (184)
- Drug offences: 4 (6)
The first week of the 2025 Festive program saw the DRPS Ride Team working alongside community partners from The Durham Region Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). MADD had several survivors and other volunteers personally impacted by impaired driving out to thank the majority of drivers for driving sober and remind everyone that the impact of their choices can be long lasting.
While there was a slight decline in the number of individuals arrested for impaired driving offences this year (13) over last (16), there are still far too many people making the selfish choice to drive impaired. The number of drivers receiving 3/7/30 day license suspensions for registering a WARN on an approved screening device, was nearly the same as last year, DRPS said.
Increase In Stunt Driving
“Despite alcohol impaired related offences being down, our members saw an increase in stunt driving,” it pointed out.
While alcohol impairs your ability to operate a motor vehicle, so does excessive speed which also puts the public at risk. Six drivers were charged with stunt driving and received 30-day licence suspensions and had their cars impounded for 14 days, including two motorists who were traveling at 165kmh on Highway 401 and 163kmh in an 80kmh zone on Winchester Road in Whitby.
“We need to do better…please slow down, and if you are going to consume alcohol or other intoxicating substances, plan ahead, use alternate forms of transportation and arrive alive,” DRPS urged.
A complete list of those charged with Impaired/Exceed is posted on www.drps.ca under RIDE Results.
Note: Under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, anyone charged with an impaired diving criminal offence will have their driver’s licence suspended for 90 days and their vehicle impounded automatically for seven days.