Press Release
In the ongoing effort to educate the motoring public about the dangers attributed to drinking and driving, OPP officers were out in full force in Rainy River District.
Between Nov. 27 and Jan. 4, the OPP checked 7,443 vehicles during this year’s Festive R.I.D.E. initiative.
In the process, OPP officers issued two driver’s licence suspensions within the “warn” range, four driver’s licence suspensions, three impaired driving charges, and 48 other provincial offences (i.e., Highway Traffic Act, Liquor Licence Act, etc.)
There was a total of eight personal injury collisions and 80 property damage collisions.
Five extra officers were put out on patrol for R.I.D.E. checks.
Provincially, the OPP checked some 1,174,224 vehicles over the past five weeks.
OPP officers issued 432 administrative driver’s licence suspensions (ADLS) for Criminal Code-related drinking and driving offences, and a further 709 ADL suspensions for a blood alcohol concentration in the .05-.08 range.
The OPP laid a total of 5,329 charges as a result of this year’s initiative, 298 of which were for impaired driving, over .08 BAC, or for refusal to comply with a demand to provide a breath sample.
The remaining 5,031 charges were for other Criminal Code, Highway Traffic Act, or Liquor Licence Act offences.
Comparatively, during the 2008 Festive R.I.D.E., OPP officers checked 884,729 vehicles, made 319 arrests for Criminal Code alcohol-related offences and issued 1,137 ADL suspensions.
