The Wellington County OPP has completed its annual Festive RIDE campaign for another season.
The local campaign ran from Nov. 25 to Jan. 16 in conjunction with the province’s Festive RIDE initiative.
Officers from the local Festive RIDE team worked alongside uniform members, setting up at strategic locations throughout the county where it was determined that impaired driving was most likely to occur based on intelligence-led policing.
Wellington County OPP conducted 82 dedicated RIDE initiatives throughout the county, some of which partnered with officers from bordering police agencies including Guelph Police Service (GPS) and Caledon OPP.
Over 12,500 vehicles were checked during the seven-week initiative by officers who were looking for alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers.
Police say 26 people were charged with drinking and driving offences, which includes impaired driving, driving over 80mg and refusing to provide breath sample.
At the roadside, officers also issued 24 three-day and two, seven-day warn range administrative drivers licence suspensions and a further three 24-hour licence suspensions under the province’s novice driver zero alcohol legislation.
Officers were also looking “beyond the plate” over the campaign period and laid:
– 17 Criminal Code charges;
– nine drug charges;
– 17 Liquor Licence Act charges;
– nine charges of driving a vehicle with a suspended licence;
– 58 Highway Traffic Act charges; and
– 11 Insurance Act offences.
“We will continue our efforts to reduce the overall number of impaired drivers in Wellington County by focusing our efforts and working with our partners throughout the year,” said detachment commander Inspector Scott Lawson.
“The number of charges detected in addition to the drinking (and) driving offences is troubling.
“We can’t be deterred.”
