The closure of the Exeter office in 2020 saw police services centralized to this office in Clinton | Photo by B. Shakyaver
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers in the West Region are working with local police to fight impaired driving during the holiday season as the annual Festive RIDE campaign begins in southwestern Ontario.
Festive RIDE is a yearly program focused on removing impaired drivers from Ontario roads through enforcement and education. This year’s campaign runs from November 21st, 2024, to January 1st, 2025.
Drivers will see more police on West Region roads and highways, with officers conducting RIDE checks at all hours, every day, across the province. Local police forces will also have a strong presence during this time.
The Festive RIDE campaign wraps up an active year for West Region OPP in tackling impaired driving. In 2024, officers held 10,170 RIDE checks across all 13 detachment areas, up 20% from 8,487 checks in 2023. This year, 10 people have died in crashes related to alcohol or drugs in the West Region, compared to 24 deaths in 2023, showing a 58% drop. Police have also laid 2,384 impaired driving charges so far in 2024, slightly more than the 2,369 charges during the same period in 2023.
The OPP remains focused on keeping roads safe by targeting drivers impaired by drugs or alcohol. People are urged to help during the campaign by never driving after drinking or using drugs and ensuring others don’t drive if they are impaired. No level of alcohol or drugs is safe when driving.
Written by: K. Milhomens