Saint Patrick’s Day weekend RIDE results
OTTAWA — Most people chose being good over being lucky during the St. Patrick’s Day weekend – only one person was charged with impaired driving on the holiday notorious for beer drinking.
“The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) would like to thank everyone for celebrating responsibly this past weekend,” the OPS said in release.
The Ottawa Police Traffic Services, as well as the Marine, Dive & Trail Unit (MDT) conducted a total of four RIDE checkpoints as well as targeted traffic enforcement starting last Friday and throughout the St. Patrick’s Day weekend looking for drivers and snowmobilers impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Officers interacted with over 1,280 drivers, plus their passengers. A total of seven drivers were administered an Approved Screening Device (ADS) test and passed.
As a direct result of the RIDE programs, one driver was charged with impaired driving by drugs after attempting to avoid a checkpoint.
The traffic enforcement resulted in more than 160 Provincial Offences Notices (PON) under the Highway Traffic Act, including:
• Expired vehicle validation (51)
• Speeding (44)
• Stop sign violation (21)
• Unlicenced driver or Suspended driver (6)
• Failure to surrender licence or insurance (6)
• Handheld device (3)
• Not wearing a seatbelt (3)
• Failure to secure child/child seat
• Failure to yield to pedestrian
• Failure to move over for emergency vehicle
• Stunt / Excessive Speed
A charge of Cannabis readily available to driver was laid under the Criminal Code. Over the period, the MDT laid 15 speeding charges against snowmobilers.
“Road Safety is a top concern for Ottawa residents and the advance notice we gave to drivers about RIDE and traffic enforcement had the desired impact, as did the mobile RIDEs to monitor alternate routes,” said Traffic Services Staff Sergeant Marc-Andre Sheehy. “We will continue with education, awareness and enforcement campaigns to ensure road users get the message and make road safety their priority.”