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Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) West Region officers are teaming up with municipal police services to launch the annual Festive RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) campaign. The campaign, begins this Thursday (Nov 21st) and runs to January 1st, aiming to reduce impaired driving during the holiday season.
Drivers can expect to see increased police presence on roads and highways in southwestern Ontario, with officers conducting RIDE checks 24/7. This year, OPP has already conducted 10,170 RIDE events, a 20% increase from last year.
So far in 2024, alcohol and drug-related crashes have resulted in 10 fatalities in West Region, a significant decrease from 24 deaths in 2023. Additionally, OPP has laid 2,384 impaired driving charges.
The OPP reminds drivers that no amount of alcohol or drugs is safe when driving. They encourage everyone to avoid driving after consuming alcohol or drugs and ensure others do the same.
Written by Jeremy Hall