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Home My WebLink AboutThe Huron Expositor, 1998-12-02, Page 66 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, DECIBMI;ER 2, 1101 The Kincardine Community Concert Band (top, left) were among the angels ' (Stephanie Raw -top, right), lights and versions of the Twelve Days of Christmas floats that made up this year's Lions Club Santa Claus Parade on Friday night. (above) Phil Dzioba joined the Seaforth Co-op staff and friends (and Santa) in their verision of "eight maids a -milking". The Seaforth Fire Department and Dave Garrick (bottom) also did a version of that song. HILGENDORFF PHOTOS Drunk drivers face tougher laws as Festive RIDE begins, • BY SCOTT HILGENDORFF Expositor Editor The Festive RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Evcrywhere).program began on thc weekend with tougher new drinking and driving laws coming into effect just four days into the program. Ncw this season, drivers arrested for impaired driving can expect to have the vehicle they ate in towed and impounded for 45 days, no matter whose vehicle it is. The owner will be responsible for towing and storage costs. The Festive RIDE program is a series of government funded spot checks where additional officers are paid to stop vehicles to check for drinking drivers. The grants are given to police to conduct the extra spot checks' during the holiday season. "It's to get the message across that at this tine of year, with extra parties, - people can take taxis, or designated drivers or call for a ride," said Community Services Officer Don Shropshall with the Huron OPP. "Those are the three alternatives people have," said Shropshall. A fourth is to be arrested and taken home in a police cruiser facing charges of impaired driving with tougher penalties. , As of Dec. 1, a first-time offender faces the same one- year licence suspension,iif convicted in court, but will also have to take counselling and rehabilitation. ' "They're going to pay for that out of their own pockets," said Shropshall. A second -time offender faces a three-year licence suspension instead of two and a third time offender's licence is suspended for life with the condition that after 10 year, the drive can attempt to prove it should be reinstated. That means having to show a clean record with no liquor offences and a breathalyser lock will he placed on the driver's car. The car will not start until after the driver's breath has been tested for, and shows no signs of, drinking. Sober drivers will receive rewards in Huron Sober drivers will be rewarded this year when they're stopped by OPP in Huron and Perth Counties. RIDE reward cards offer discounts to drivers fromCanadian Tire, McDonalds and Ncw Orleans Pizza and 15,000 of them will he given out during the Festive RIDE season which is about to begin across the two counties. RIDE. Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere, is a police spot check for drinking drivers. During the holiday season, when instances of drinking and driving tend to increase because of the number of events and parties where alcohol is served, additional RIDE programs are held across the counties. The traffic safety subcommittee of of the Huron Perth Injury Prevention Committee has put together the program as a way of thanking drivers for not drinking. In Canada, 4.5 people dic every 24 hours hccausc of drinking drivers and more than 300 Canadians arc injured. In 1995. 1,529 people were killed. In Ontario, 34 per ccnt of the population has been in a car with an impaired driver and 5.7 per cent have been in a crash because of someone else's drinking. In Huron County, 2.16 per cent of drivers involved in traffic crashes were impaired in 1994; 4.73 per cent had been drinking. . Again in Huron County, in 1985, 167 drivers in crashes had been drinking and 33 of those were impaired. In 1994, 68 had been drinking and 31 were impaired. RIDE programs take drunk drivers off the roads and also serve as a deterrent to drinking and driving because people don't know when or where OPP will hold chccks; particularly during thc holiday season when more funding is available for police to specifically operate the spot checks. At night, one out of five drivers on Canadian roads has been drinking and one in 25 is legally impaired. Four times more fatal accidents occur at night. RIDE chccks, however, arc held at any time. When stopping vehicles, police will hand out the RIDE Reward cards with coupons valud until March 31, 1999. Members of thc traffic safety subcommittee that have developed the program include OPP officers, concerned citizens, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, IMPACT (a hospital-based program that illustrates the dangers of drinking and driving), OSAID (Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving) health units in both counties and the Ministry of Transportation. All five police services in the two counties will be distributing'the cards with MADD red ribbons. The ribbons are given out as a reminder not to drink and drive and are ticd to aerials on vehicles. RIDE rewards will be give out throughout the holiday season. If a person is stopped for a fourth time, the licence will never be returned. "RIDE will be conducted in all locations throughout the county," said Shropshall. Extra emphasis will be placed on village locations like Brucefield, Blyth, and Londesborough., Shropshall also warned that if drivers try to go around a RIDE check, even on country roads, they could be in for surprises. Extra cruisers are going to he set up on side streets to' catch anyone who tries to evade the RIDE check. "Basically, there's going to be more enforcement," Shropshall said. While there is specific funding for RIDE checks, officers on regular duty also conduct the spot checks at random times and locations. RIDE checks are set up at any time of day. Guaranteed Investment Certificates from more than 30 banks and trust companies to provide YOU with the best rates. Doug ENlolt B. MMh 'Seaforth 5?35%1a GYMComp. nual 5 Year4. 630-59 a� RRSP short Term All Deposits Insured Within Limits Rates subject To Verification rvebienIGenIre 96 Main St. Serving Seaforth Since 1986 527-0420 11100 ETax SafE (NOV. 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