DRPS completed its first week of the Festive R.I.D.E program with two days of checks, stopping more than 200 vehicles and charging seven drivers with drinking and driving offences.
Durham Regional Police Service said its officers conducted R.I.D.E checks in Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa, and Clarington with the following totals: (the numbers in brackets reflect 2019 first week totals for comparison):
- 214 (1882) Vehicles stopped by R.I.D.E.
- 14 (60) People given Roadside Breath Tests
- 3 (10) People received “3/7/30 Day Suspensions” for registering a “WARN”
- 1 (0) Novice Driver received a 3-Day Licence Suspension
- 7 (8) People were charged with Impaired/Exceed/Refuse
- 1 (1) Person was charged with other Criminal Code offences
- 67 (43) Charged with various Highway Traffic Act offences
- 1 (0) Drug Offences
After the first week, the Festive R.I.D.E team has charged a total of seven motorists for drinking and driving offences. Last year at the same time, eight had been charged. Another three motorists have registered a WARN on a roadside screening device and had their driver’s licences suspended for either 3/7/30 days. Last year at the same time, 10 drivers had their licences suspended for registering a WARN, said a DRPS statement.
For the safety of everyone during the pandemic, officers will be maintaining social distance and wearing PPE during R.I.D.E. stops.
“We’re reminding motorists that if you’re celebrating this holiday season, make sure you make arrangements if you plan on consuming alcohol or cannabis. Police would like to remind motorists about the cannabis laws while transporting it in your motor vehicle. A driver cannot have cannabis in a motor vehicle when the seal of its original packaging is open and is within reach of the driver, similar to alcohol rules,” said the statement.
A complete list of those charged with Impaired/Exceed will be posted on DRPS website later this week at www.drps.ca under Hot Topics.
Note: Under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, anyone charged with an impaired driving criminal offence will have his or her driver’s licence suspended for 90 days and their vehicle impounded automatically for seven days.
If you suspect an impaired driver call 9-1-1.
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