Durham police recently completed its third week of the Festive R.I.D.E program, stopping more than 3,500 vehicles and charging 22 drivers with drinking and driving offences.
Officers conducted R.I.D.E. checks in Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa, Clarington, Scugog and Brock Township with the following totals (the numbers in brackets reflect 2018 third week totals for comparison):
- 3,576 (5,277) vehicles stopped by R.I.D.E.
- 156 (109) people given roadside breath tests
- 15 (22) people received three, seven, or 30 day suspensions for registering in the warning range of 0.05 to 0.08 blood alcohol content
- 203 mandatory roadside breath tests
- 22 (22) people were charged with drinking and driving offences
- 29 (23) people were charged with other Criminal Code offences
- 87 (94) people were charged with various Highway Traffic Act offences
- Zero (one) were charged with drug offences
- One (seven) person was charged with Cannabis Act offences
After the third week, the Festive R.I.D.E. team has charged a total of 46 motorists for drinking and driving offences. Last year at the same time, 43 had been charged.
Another 46 motorists have registered a WARN on a roadside screening device and had their driver’s licence suspended for three days. Last year at the same time, 48 drivers had their licence suspended for registering a WARN.
On Friday, Nov. 29, a driver was observed speeding 123 km/h in a 60 km/h zone, nearly hitting a police cruiser with the R.I.D.E. check head on.
The driver was charged with stunt driving, careless driving, driving without insurance and three other offences under the Highway Traffic Act. The driver’s vehicle was impounded for seven days.
Source: The Oshawa Express