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December 29, 2016 | 36 pages
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Impaired driving charges hit new high in Quinte West BY ERIN STEWART
Trenton – Quinte West OPP expect 2016 to set a dubious record this holiday season. Police said this week they expect to record the highest rate of impaired driving charges in Quinte West, ever, with 68 impaired charges laid as of Thursday Dec. 22. “We will have the highest number of charges this year, we’re about equal right now with the highest before (in 2015) so we’ll be higher given another couple of weeks,” said Christina Reive, detachment commander for the Quinte West OPP. In 2013, there were a total of 47 impaired driving charges laid in Quinte West, four during the Festive “Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere” (RIDE) program season. In 2015, impaired driving charges increased to 69 with 15 charges laid during the Festive RIDE program. Since the 2016 Festive RIDE program launched on November 17, Reive said there have so far been 30 RIDE programs throughout the community, resulting in seven impaired driving charges laid and nine temporary roadside license suspensions because people were over a safe limit but not chargeable. “The increase is always concerning,” said Reive. “We want to see people choosing alternative rides and during the Christmas season the education is out there, it’s being put out there in the media, so it’s not because people aren’t aware that they’re taking a risk when they’re driving, they’re
just doing it anyways.” New this year, the detachment has analyzed data from over the past four years to determine which areas are likely to have impaired drivers, both from drugs and alcohol. “I’m confident that through the robust RIDE program that we have running that the people who are driving impaired we are catching a good number of them and hopefully as they go though the court process the deterrents will get us lower numbers next year,” she said. Reive said the detachment, along with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, have had great co-operation from licensed establishments in town to help deter customers from driving impaired. “We’ve had recent meetings with some of the bar owners and bar staff and we speak to them about over serving and about watching customers and offering them alternatives when they’re leaving, if it looks like they’re planning on driving,” said Reive. “A number of the impaired drivers that we’ve laid charges on are not actually leaving licensed establishments, they’re leaving private residences, so we’ll have to tackle that next year.” The festive RIDE program will continue in a robust manor until the middle of January. As a reminder, Operation Red Nose is still available throughout the holiday sea- Quinte West OPP Constable Blake Burnette works during the first RIDE of the year on son and there are extra taxis on the road to Wednesday Nov. 23, file photo. help residents make the right choice. Erin Stewart/Metroland
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