The Halton Police is ready for the holiday impaired drivers.
The RIDE campaign is in full swing once again this year. The annual traffic safety outreach program aims to limit impaired driving on the roads during the holiday season.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a new factor for the initiative. The Sergeant in charge of Traffic Services, Ryan Snow, says that because of the pandemic, they’re inferring that the bulk of the drinking is happening in homes this year.
He adds that the difference in someone drinking at home compared to at an establishment is that a bar or restaurant would have a server that would hopefully “cut” someone “off” at a certain point. That isn’t a guarantee when someone is drinking or ingesting drugs in a home environment.
Sergeant Snow says that if you are spending time with family and friends this holiday season and you’re drinking or ingesting drugs, it is every person’s responsibility to know their limit and to know when it is not okay to drive.
Snow has been in his position with the Traffic Services Unit for roughly five years. He says in that time, and the rest of the time that he’s been in the force, he hasn’t necessarily noticed a decrease in impaired driving. However, legislation passed in December, 2018 has made a major difference in policing and enforcing impaired driving. Snow feels that mandatory screening has had a big impact in policing the roads. What that means, according to Snow, is that an officer can request that a driver take a breathalyzer test, if stopped. He adds that the driver could be stopped for any reason and as long as the officer has the roadside screening test in-hand, the driver must cooperate or face a criminal offence.
Sergeant Snow hopes you make the right decision this holiday season.
The latest list of impaired drivers for Halton has been released. You can read up on the list here.
