Bancroft OPP have announced four impaired driving arrests over the holiday period, two of which came from Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) checkpoints where police were looking for impaired drivers.
Police arrested a 19-year-old from Madawaska Valley at 9 p.m. Saturday night, during a RIDE traffic stop on Hwy. 28 in Faraday Township.
Two hours later, they arrested a 21-year-old from Faraday, also during a stop on Hwy. 28.
Another arrest happened on December 27. A 59-year-old from Oakville was charged after being stopped on Monck Street.
A fourth charge happened on Boxing Day. A 38-year-old from Bancroft was stopped on Sherbourne Street North at 6 p.m.
In each case, the driver was charged with impaired driving and given a court date of Jan. 16 in Bancroft.
Those arrests came during a regional campaign to stop impaired driving.
OPP officers across East Region conducted over 1,500 Festive RIDE programs between November 16 and New Year’s Day.
The OPP says initial results show officers arrested and charged 134 people with impaired driving, while another 37 motorists were issued administrative drivers’ licence suspensions after registering in the warning range on an approved roadside screening device.
“Impaired drivers are a danger to everyone on the roads, including themselves, their passengers, other drivers and even pedestrians,” said Inspector Walid Kandar, OPP’s East Region Traffic and Marine Manager.
Police say RIDE programs can happen anywhere anytime, and not just during the holiday season. If you suspect someone is driving impaired, call 911.