Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers across the East Region are continuing their efforts to keep roads and highways safe throughout the holiday season as the annual Festive RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) campaign enters its third week.
Since the launch of the initiative on Thursday, November 20, officers from Quinte West to the Quebec border, and northwest through the Ottawa Valley, have carried out more than 500 Festive RIDE checkpoints, stopping hundreds of drivers to screen for impairment by alcohol or drugs.
To date, 49 drivers have been arrested and charged with impaired driving. Each of these motorists received an immediate 90-day licence suspension, a seven-day vehicle impoundment, and will face a scheduled court appearance.
Officers also issued nine three-day licence suspensions to drivers who registered in the “warn range” on approved roadside alcohol screening devices.
The OPP reminds the public that the Festive RIDE campaign runs until January 1, 2026, with checkpoints operating day and night, seven days a week throughout the region.
Police urge residents to play a role in keeping roads safe. Anyone who suspects a driver is impaired by drugs or alcohol is encouraged to call 9-1-1. Reporting impaired driving could save lives.
