OTTAWA – Local police services in the Ottawa area will be out looking for drivers impaired by drugs or alcohol this evening.

Now in its fifth year, the Ottawa Police Service along with OPP, Smith Fall Police, Gatineau Police and RCMP will hold MegaRIDE checkpoints throughout the city.

“If you are consuming alcohol or cannabis, please use a designated driver, taxi, bus or Uber to get home safely,” Staff Sergeant Marc Andre Sheehy said. “Impaired driving is 100 per cent avoidable and it is not worth losing your licence, your life or someone else’s life.”

Ottawa Police will also be on the waterway with Smith Falls Police starting at 4 p.m. this afternoon for a WaterRIDE highlighting water safety and National Drowning Prevention Week.

“The nice weather is an opportunity to remind everyone not to drive or boat impaired,” said Const. TJ Jellinek, with the Ottawa Police Service’s Marine, Dive and Trails (MDT) Unit. “Plan ahead and get home safe.”