Festive RIDE program begins in Hamilton
Published November 29, 2023 at 12:31 pm
The Hamilton Police Service is launching its annual Festive RIDE program.
The program sees officers stationed around the city to work checkpoints to ensure drivers are sober. It sees numerous police services across the province including Hamilton, Peel, Durham Toronto and the OPP, team up with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to conduct breathalyzer stops around the province.
The programs typically run from late November to early January to capture the spike in impaired drivers going to holiday parties. Peel Regional Police shared last year’s RIDE program statistics for their jurisdiction;
- 13,987 motorists checked
- 126 charges for operation while impaired by alcohol
- 8 charges for operation while impaired by drugs.
- 171 roadside administrative drivers licence suspensions
- 296 Highway Traffic Act charges
Meanwhile, Durham Regional Police reported a 25 per cent increase in impaired driving in 2022 compared to 2021, even though they pulled over fewer people. That same year OPP charged 812 drivers with a total of 1,258 impaired driving offences. Hamilton Police did not provide statistics last year.
However, they’re kicking off their campaign at an event on Nov. 30. Following this they’ll be placing checkpoints at unannounced locations around the city to stop and check all passersby.
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