It’s a matter of safety on the roads when it comes to the Festive RIDE campaign.
Impaired driving is still an issue and “it's the biggest thing that we want to make the public aware of,” Scott Tracey, spokesperson for Guelph Police Service, told media. He stressed it occurs at any time of day where police find people who are impaired in their vehicle.
Guelph police and Wellington County OPP launched its annual Festive RIDE campaign on Wednesday. It starts mid-November and will go through until early January.
So far this year GPS responded to 107 impaired driving-related calls. It resulted in 192 charges being laid. Of this number drug consumption was a factor for 79.
Last year Guelph police investigated 155 impaired driving-related incidents and laid 254 charges. This is down from 2022 with 171 investigations that had 283 charges.
For Wellington County OPP numbers weren’t immediately available in impaired driving-related incidents and charges.
There is an increase in impaired by drug, said Sgt. Kevin Driscoll, Wellington County OPP, told media. Now there are more officers who are drug recognition officers “and with that expertise, we are able to now clamp down on the impaired by drug where before (it) was a little more difficult because we didn't have that training,” he said. They are able to evaluate if drivers are impaired by drugs.
It takes several months for the training to be complete and part of the training is completed in the U.S. Officers with this training could be at the Festive RIDE programs. They are utilized anywhere even beyond Wellington County, like Grey County for instance because there aren’t as many officers with the training since it's extensive.
The evaluation for impaired due to cannabis, is the same for alcohol. The person would undergo a field sobriety test. If officers deemed the person failed that part of the testing they would be arrested and then a full evaluation would be made by a drug recognition officer at an OPP detachment.
Guelph police also have drug recognition officers and these officers are trained in recognizing the effects of a person who has consumed a wide variety of substances whether it be controlled substances, illicit or prescription. In this case a blood sample would be taken at a hospital and sent for testing to determine the level of the substance in the body.
As for where and when the ride programs happen, it could be any time or place.
“We certainly don't advertise where they are and we ask the public not to advertise where they are,” said Tracey. There are apps where people can put that there are ride programs and in what locations. In this case “you’re essentially helping somebody to commit a crime and be a danger somewhere else rather than allowing them to be caught,” he said.
If someone suspects a person is impaired while driving, call 911. "I think people are sometimes hesitant about whether 911 is an appropriate response for this type of crime, and it certainly is, because every impaired driver is a potential killer on the road. And if that's happening, we want to know immediately so we can get officers to the area and get them pulled over," said Tracey.
The penalty for refusing to provide a breath sample is the same as impaired driving. If someone refuses to provide a sample it's an immediate 90 day driving probation. If convicted it's an automatic one year, at minimum, driver's license suspension.
An e-bike, motorized scooter, snowmobile and ride-along mower are all considered motorized so those using them would be subject to the rules of the Highway Traffic Act. “I've seen cases where people impaired on a riding lawn mower on the road,” said Tracey. It is a motor vehicle and people have been charged for that, he continued.
