Aurora, Ontario – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) nabbed 1,203 impaired drivers during its Festive R.I.D.E. (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) campaign, which ran from November 25, 2011 to January 1, 2012.
Of the total, 652 drivers were charged with impaired driving, while 551 were issued immediate warn range suspensions for having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) between .05 and .08. In comparison, the 2010-2011 campaign resulted in 308 drivers charged with impaired driving, and 613 issued warn range suspensions.
“On one hand, I am extremely proud of the hard work on the part of our officers who made this campaign highly effective in removing these dangerous drivers from our roads over the holidays,” said OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis. “On the other hand, I am disappointed that these drivers would risk their lives and the lives of others.”
In 2011, 47 people died in alcohol-related crashes on OPP-patrolled roads.
