On Friday, August 30th, 2024, members of the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) conducted R.I.D.E. spot checks in the Cities of Welland and Thorold.
Throughout the night, officers stopped approximately 700 vehicles and inquired if any of the drivers had consumed any alcohol or drugs earlier in the evening. In total, 20 drivers were required to provide a sample of their breath for analysis.
Two of the drivers had provided a sample resulting in a “Fail” and subsequently were arrested. Each of them had their vehicle towed and seized for a period of 7 days. Another driver had provided a sample resulting in an “Alert” and subsequently had their licence suspended for a period of 3 days.
During one of the traffic stops, an officer discovered that the 49-year-old driver, who is a resident of the Town of Fort Erie, was a suspended driver in the Province of Ontario. She was charged with driving while under suspension, contrary to the Highway Traffic Act.
Several tickets were issued to other drivers, including one who received a ticket while driving with no licence.
The Niagara Regional Police Service remains committed to reducing impaired driving offences through education and the apprehension of offenders through enforcement programs like R.I.D.E.
Impaired driving remains the leading criminal offence causing death in Canada.
This initiative has been made possible, in part, as a result of grant funding from the Ministry of the Solicitor General as part of the Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (R.I.D.E) program.