Wellington County OPP and Guelph Police Service kicked off the Festive Reduced Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) campaign for the 2014-15 holiday season on Nov. 19.
For more than 30 years RIDE programs have run year-round. They are stepped up over the festive season because of the higher number of parties, celebrations and family gatherings.
The campaign involves police checks along select roads where vehicles will be stopped and drivers will be checked for impairment, whether it be from alcohol, drugs, misuse of prescription medication or something else.
Elizabeth Kent is the board chair of Mothers Against Drunk Driving Wellington County, another partner in the Festive RIDE campaign.
At the kick-off on Nov. 19 in Guelph, she said on average four Canadians per day are killed from impaired driving and 175 are injured because of it.
“It’s a hundred per cent preventable,” she said. “Because people make the decision; they make a choice to drive.”
Though the RIDE program is designed to stop impaired drivers when they’re checked, the stops also create awareness and deter would-be impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel.
“Many times we will promote the fact that we’re out holding RIDE programs to make people aware so they do make the right decision, but there is also that enforcement piece for those who choose to not do the right thing,” said Jeff DeRuyter, Guelph Police Service chief.
Scott Lawson, Wellington County OPP detachment commander, said, “We can set up a RIDE program at any time, day or night, and still yield results and that’s the unfortunate part.
“Because somebody may party until three in the morning hard, drive at 6am and still be over the legal limit and on their way to work.”
To help prevent impaired driving this holiday season, Wellington County OPP, Guelph police and MADD Wellington suggest drivers plan ahead. Anyone going to a party should arrange for a cab, a ride with friends or family, stay overnight or find some alternative that takes driving out of the equation if they’re drinking, police state.
“It’s really important for members of the public, if they have concerns about the driving that they see, that they do call us or the OPP,” DeRuyter said. “Call us at 911 so we can try to locate vehicles because we certainly do appreciate that there’s more eyes out there that can call in these things.”
As of Nov. 19, in Wellington County there have been 225 drinking and driving charges, 601 roadside tests, 206 warning range roadside suspensions and 34 alcohol-related collisions. Last year Wellington County had 226 alcohol-related charges and 37 alcohol-related collisions.
In Guelph by Nov. 19, there were 130 impaired charges (26 were collision-related) and there have been 48 three-day roadside suspensions, several seven-day suspensions and one 30-day suspension.
Guelph police and OPP will be running the Festive RIDE campaign until Jan. 2.
