WELLINGTON COUNTY – Impaired driving charges were up slightly during the Wellington OPP’s recent Festive RIDE campaign, but local police also conducted 30% more RIDE events this season.
According to a Jan. 3 press release from the OPP’s Western Region, Wellington County OPP officers conducted 125 Festive RIDE events between Nov. 21 and Jan. 1, laid 32 impaired driving charges and issued zero warning-range suspensions (for drivers who register a blood alcohol level between 0.05 and 0.08).
During the 2023-24 campaign there were 96 events, 28 impaired driving charges and four warning-range suspensions.
This season the Wellington OPP ranked ninth out of 13 Western Region detachments in terms of volume of Festive Ride events (125). Other detachment totals ranged from 80 to 238.
Last season the Wellington detachment ranked 13th, with 96 events, while other totals ranged from 111 to 332.
Western Region
Across the Western region, OPP officers conducted 1,938 Festive RIDE events, laid 292 impaired driving charges and issued 19 warning-range suspensions.
Last season, those totals were 2,446, 353 and 55 respectively.
“The Festive RIDE campaign is an annual police enforcement and education initiative aimed at taking impaired drivers off Ontario roads during the holiday season,” police stated in a press release.
“The OPP remains committed to taking alcohol/drug-impaired drivers off our roads through enforcement and public education.
“If you suspect that someone is driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, it is important to call 9-1-1 to report it.”
Province-wide
OPP officials say officers conducted 9,268 RIDE initiatives across Ontario this season, resulting in 743 impaired driving charges and 155 warning-range suspensions.
The OPP did not provide province-wide statistics for last season’s campaign.