THUNDER BAY -- The holiday season is just around the corner and so too are local police – literally.
Local law enforcement on Monday kicked off the holiday RIDE program, stopping traffic on Arthur Street to check for drinking and driving infractions.
OPP Traffic Sgt. Ken Mantey said while most drivers have taken the anti-impaired driving message to heart, there are still too many motorists on area roads who don’t think twice about having too much to drink and slipping in behind the wheel.
Mantey’s message to those drivers is simple – don’t do it.
“All of our officers here have probably been to those crashes,” he said. “I’ve personally been to three or four. It’s terrible at any time, but to have to go to family members over the Christmas season that a loved one is seriously hurt or in hospital, or is not coming home, it’s terrible for the family.”
That’s the worst -case scenario.
The best-case situation for being driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not only an inconvenience, it gets expensive too.
“You’re going to lose your licence for 90 days. You’re going to lose your cars for seven days and that’s going to be fairly stressful over the Christmas season as well,” Mantey said.
“There are too many other options.”
An arrest will lead to significant legal fees and insurance rates will skyrocket too, he added.
There are plenty of other options to get home, he added, pointing to cabs and ride services such as Operation Red Nose, in which volunteers will drive your vehicle home for you each weekend in December in return for a donation to St. John Ambulance.
Mantey said 33 drivers were charged with driving under the influence during the 2015-16 RIDE campaign, 10 fewer than the year before.
“We still need to work on it, we still need to be out here doing this,” Mantey said.
As a reward, drivers stopped during the RIDE Program this year will receive a coupon for a free hot chocolate from a local Mac’s Convenience store outlet. Police were also handing out free pocket-size ice scrapers.
Taking part in the program, in addition to the OPP, are Thunder Bay Police Service, Nishnawbe Aski Police Service and the Canada Border Patrol Agency.
