HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-12-09, Page 3Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, December 9,2009 - Page 3
Police ramping up RIDE checks for holiday season
Marti Cremes
signal -star staff
It is not an easy task to keep Huron Coun-
ty's roadways safe, but Huron OPP are step-
ping up their presence for a fatality -free holi-
day season with their Fesitve RIDE (Reduce
Impaired Driving Everywhere) program.
Police in Huron have set ambitious targets
this year, based on 'their successes from pre-
vious years.
In 2008, the Festive RIDE program
stopped more than 880,000 vehicles at
checkpoints throughout the province, result-
ing in 319 criminal code, alcohol-related of-
fences. A total of 784 12 -hour suspensions
were also handed out, along with 353 90 -day
administrative drivers licence suspensions.
Acting Sergeant Craig Soldan said the
Huron OPP have set a goal to check 18,000
cars county -wide between November 27
and January 2.
Of those 18,000, officers expect to issue
12 warn -range suspensions, seven alcohol-
related criminal code charges and subse-
quent licence suspensions, and 45 other
charges related to the Highway Traffic Act
(HTA).
"We will be trying to meet and exceed
these," Soldan said. "All across the county"
A reminder for motorists who think one or
two drinks is fine - anything above .05 will
result in a warn and a three-day suspension
of your licence.
For creatures of habit, the second warn is
seven days and the third is 30.
It's a tough system, but fair, said Soldan.
'There is nothing worse than losing a
lf�aari �f�a t� sol opne' yho was iirt es1 1-
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ble," he said. "We are trying to remove those
people from the roadway.
To help meet their targets, 16 additional
officers will be on the roads conducting
RIDE checks, and Soldan said any day of
the week there is a checkpoint set up some-
where in the county.
Soldan said while the most -populated
areas in the county generally see the most
charges laid, OPP are random with the loca-
tion of their checks, just as drivers trying to
avoid them are.
He said police setting up on secondary
roads have been successful in intervening
those who try to avoid RIDE checks.
The officer noted one instance where OPP
set up on Front Road in Huron East, and the
very first car through the check resulted in a
disqualified driver charge, and a charge of
having liquor readily available.
"People take alternate routes," he said.
"Taking backroads to try and go undetect-
ed.
"We get creative with our locations."
In that instance, Soldan said the driver
tried to turn off and avoid the RIDE check
altogether - a bad idea but a good way to get
followed.
"We're doing it for everyone's safety," he
said. "If you are not doing anything wrong,
you have nothing to worry about. If you try
to avoid us, we will chase you down."
Within one hour on the sideroad, Soldan
said four charges were laid.
As of Nov 22, 271 people have died on
OPP-patrolled roadways, and 42 of those
deaths were alcohol-related.
"Drinking and driving is a serious threat
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to public safety and remains the leading
cause of criminal death. in Canada," said
OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino in a late -
November press release. "Thetragic loss of
life... touches every one of us at some point
in our lives."
Earlier this fall, the OPP held a Thanksgiv-
ing -weekend blitz called Operation Impact,
with the goal of reducing aggressive driving
and motor -vehicle
collisions.
Officers made con-
tact with nearly 5,000
drivers - more than
triple their original
goal. Officers also
laid triple - sometimes
more - charges than
they set out to do.
Over the last long
weekend, 14 criminal
code charges were
handed out, along
with 188 speeding,
four suspended li-
cences and 23 other
HTA offences.
Soldan said next year's goals will be lofti-
er to ensure another fatality -free Thanksgiv-
ing.
In the meantime, Soldan said the best
thing for Huron County drivers to do is take
it slow as the weather dictates, make sure all
passengers in the vehicle have seatbelts, and
of course, don't drink and drive.
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