North Bay police charge 16 with impaired driving in Holiday campaign

An officer with the North Bay Police Service conducts a reduce impaired driving everywhere traffic stop in November 2025. (File photo/CTV News)

The North Bay Police Service said it laid 16 impaired driving charges during its annual holiday traffic enforcement initiative.

The charges were laid between Nov. 15, 2025, and Jan. 15, 2026, as part of the Festive RIDE (reduce impaired driving everywhere) campaign.

During the campaign period, officers charged 10 drivers with operation while impaired by drugs or alcohol and 6 drivers for operating a motor vehicle while impaired with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of more than 80 mg.

In the same period the previous year, North Bay police laid 10 standard impaired driving charges and only two charges for having a BAC more than 80mg per 100 mL of blood.

Police say the figures highlight an ongoing and concerning risk to public safety locally.

“Impaired driving is entirely preventable,” said acting Insp. Vince Corrente, in a news release.

“We are asking drivers to plan ahead, use a designated driver, rideshare service, or public transit and to step in if someone is considering getting behind the wheel while impaired. One decision can save a life.”

Strengthened penalties now in effect

As of Jan. 1, penalties for impaired driving under the Highway Traffic Act have been significantly strengthened. Police can now review 10 years of prior impaired driving convictions when determining penalties, up from five years.

For motorists in the ‘warn range,’ having a BAC between 0.05 and 0.079, or who fail a roadside sobriety test for drugs or alcohol, first-time penalties now include a seven-day immediate driver’s licence suspension, up from three days.

Additionally, all licence suspensions now carry a $281 licence reinstatement fee payable to Service Ontario.

Young and novice drivers – those 21 and under or holding G1, G2, M1 or M2 licences – remain subject to zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol.

Financial, legal consequences

Convictions carry severe financial and legal impacts, including:

• Potential vehicle impoundment for seven days at the owner’s expense.
• Auto insurance premiums increases between 50 and 150 per cent or potential insurance cancellations for at least three years.
• Drivers with a BAC of 80 or more, or who refuse to provide a sample, face criminal charges, lengthy suspensions and mandatory programs.
• A lifetime licence suspension now applies to convictions of impaired driving causing death.