Provincial police launch Festive R.I.D.E. campaign

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is launching its 2020 Festive R.I.D.E campaign, aimed at taking alcohol and drug-impaired drivers off local roads.

During the initiative, police officers will be ramping up the use of Mandatory Alcohol Screening (MAS) across the province. Under the MAS law, an officer can demand a breath sample from any driver without having reasonable suspicion that they have alcohol in their body.  

Drug screening equipment that detects cannabis and cocaine in a driver's saliva is another resource officers have at their disposal. 

Also, under impaired driving laws, the OPP can demand that a driver submit to a Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) and a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Evaluation. SFST-trained officers and DREs have the expertise to detect impairment by alcohol, drugs or both.

“As Ontarians celebrate this physically distanced holiday season, an important part of staying safe is ensuring you have a solid plan that prevents you and your family from driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs,” says OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique. 

According to police, 42 people have died on OPP-patrolled roads this year, in collisions that involved an alcohol or drug-impaired driver.

“Impaired driving continues to be the leading criminal cause of death and injury on Ontario's roads, and these dangers remain a threat to our communities as we continue to face COVID-19 this holiday season,” says Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. “We all want a safe and happy holiday season, and it is important to remind our friends and family to plan ahead and make alternative arrangements to get home safely. The decision to get behind the wheel impaired can be a matter of life and death.”  

The OPP Festive RIDE Campaign runs from Thursday, November 26, 2020 to Sunday, January 3, 2021.   

During the 2019/2020 Festive R.I.D.E campaign, OPP officers conducted more than 8,800 stops, charging 605 motorists with impaired driving.