OPP Launch RIDE Program Just In Time For The Holidays
Posted November 29, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s a sign of the season surer than lights on the eavestrough and workshop displays at the Bay.
Drivers know the holidays are here when the OPP is out in full force conducting spot checks and road blocks all in the effort to get drunk drivers off Ontario’s roads.
This year’s R.I.D.E. program was only hours old when another person was charged with impaired driving after a spectacular crash near Avenue Road.
Asked how she felt when she heard about the incident, Carolyn Swanson of M.A.D.D. replied, “I just get so frustrated…because there’s absolutely no excuse for anybody in the city of Toronto to be driving after they’ve been out there drinking.”
While the provincial and municipal police are always on the lookout for impaired or unsafe drivers, it’s an especial concern this time of year. Many more people are hitting many more parties and may take risks they wouldn’t during other months.
“We hope to up our numbers for tests and for arrests as well,” revealed Sgt. Todd Grover of Toronto Traffic Services.
In addition to the evening stops, there will also be police in marked and unmarked cars hitting the roads in the morning.
And they’re not just looking for those who score high on the breathalyzer. Cops also want to make sure you’re wearing your seatbelt, and they’ll have their eyes out for aggressive drivers and speeders as well.
Project R.I.D.E. (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) launched Saturday and will run until January 2.
10 Possible Signs of an Impaired Driver
1. Driving unreasonably fast, slow, or at an inconsistent speed
2. Drifting in and out of lanes
3. Tailgating and changing lanes frequently
4. Making exceptionally wide turns
5. Changing lanes or passing without sufficient clearance
6. Overshooting or stopping well before stop signs or stop lights
7. Disregarding signals and lights
8. Approaching signals or leaving intersections too quickly or slowly
9. Driving without headlights, failing to lower high beams or leaving turn signals on
10. Driving with windows open in cold or inclement weather
Information courtesy: Madd.ca
