THUNDER BAY – The Ontario Provincial Police concluded its annual Festive RIDE campaign on Jan. 2, having charged 76 drivers with impaired driving and issued warn range suspensions to five drivers in the Northwest region.
The OPP Festive RIDE Campaign ran from Nov. 18, 2021, to Jan. 2, 2022.
Last year, OPP officers in the Northwest region charged 46 drivers with impaired driving and issued 14 warn range suspensions.
Over the 46-day 2021 campaign, OPP officers worked 24/7, conducting 1,516 RIDE events in the region, over double the amounts that were conducted last year.
Across the province, 8,370 RIDE events were held and 655 drivers were charged with with impaired driving.
Over and above the charges, officers issued 236 warn range suspensions to drivers whose roadside breath test registered 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
The OPP would like to thank citizens for making 3,147 calls to police to report suspected impaired drivers during the annual campaign.
The OPP would also like to thank all those who stepped up as designated drivers or took other measures to ensure family and friends did not get behind the wheel while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Drivers are reminded that the OPP conducts RIDE events throughout the year on roads, trails and waterways.
Citizens are encouraged to continue reporting suspected impaired drivers to police. By doing so, you could be saving a life.
