The Thunder Bay Police Service is pleased to report that its annual Festive RIDE program has concluded, with encouraging results.
The annual impaired driving reduction program which began on November 22nd and ran until January 1st involved small teams of officers setting up dedicated checkpoints to interdict impaired drivers. Officers ran the programs on various days and times over the five weeks, which resulted in the arrest of 15 individuals for impaired driving. Additionally, nine drivers provided breath samples in the warn range, resulting in three-day driver’s licence suspensions. For one young driver, it was his second warn range suspension in just two years, resulting in an elevated seven-day licence suspension. Four people were arrested on warrants or for other criminal offences, and nine suspended drivers were removed from the roadways and charged.
The actual numbers of intercepted impaired drivers was down from the 19 arrested during the 2017 RIDE season. Additionally, the number of licence suspensions issued also dropped from 14 to 9. This drop can be partially attributed to the continuous campaigning efforts of the police and community partners about the dangers of impaired driving.
The police would like to thank those this holiday season that chose alternative means of transportation when celebrating. Due to the responsible actions of the majority, the police are also pleased to report that there were no fatal collisions in the city during the Festive RIDE season.
Please have a safe and successful 2019, and do your part to keep the roads safe for all.