This year’s Festive Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) campaign resulted in Greater Sudbury police laying eight impaired driving charges during the holiday season.
Between Nov. 16 and Dec. 31, city police joined the OPP in conducting 13 Festive RIDE checks at various locations throughout Greater Sudbury.
Some other key numbers from this year’s efforts include:
- 3,243 vehicles checked
- 406 mandatory alcohol screenings administered
- 140 approved screening device tests
- 13 intoxilizer tests
- Five standard field sobriety tests
- Three drug recognition evaluations
Out of these efforts, police charged eight drivers with impaired driving and issued eight 90-day driver’s licence suspensions, plus 24 three-day driver’s licence suspensions and four novice/young driver’s licence suspensions.
“Our officers remain committed to both proactively and reactively addressing impaired driving through proactive patrols and dedicated enforcement efforts, including but not limited to the Festive RIDE campaign,” GSPS noted in a media release.
Local police have upped their game in recent months by hosting more spot checks throughout the year.
Police also urge those who spot suspected impaired driving to phone 911.
“This partnership between law enforcement and our community members is essential, and it has undoubtedly helped prevent countless incidents,” GSPS noted.
“We would like to extend our appreciation to all the community members who make the responsible choice to drive safe and sober. It may seem like a simple act, but it is an act that saves lives.”
In the 2023-24 holiday season, city police conducted 11 Festive RIDE checks, checking 2,334 vehicles and administering mandatory alcohol screenings, 134 approved screening device tests, seven Intoxilizer tests, seven standard field sobriety tests and zero drug recognition evaluations. They charged 10 drivers with impaired driving.
This year’s effort launched in November at the site in Hanmer where teenagers Jazmine Houle, Caitlin Jelley and Steven Philippe were killed by an impaired driver on June 21, 2009.
“These three names everybody should know,” Greater Sudbury Police Service Insp. Bob Norman told Sudbury.com following the day’s speeches. “These three names are a symbol of the Festive RIDE and reasons why not to drink and drive.”