Police ramp up holiday season RIDE programs as impaired driving charges climb across eastern Ontario

Holiday RIDE programs are in full effect, and as CTV’s Tyler Fleming reports, Ottawa police are taking a different approach this year.

As the holiday season begins and social gatherings pick-up, police across Eastern Ontario are ramping enforcement to make sure drivers remain sober behind the wheel.

“I’m going to my girlfriend’s for one or two parties,” says Ottawa resident Judy DiMillio, who says festive plans come with a strict personal rule.

“It’s a 45-minute drive for me to get from their house so it’s the (alcohol) free, sparkling. I mean, why risk it? Why risk injuring somebody else? It doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Impaired driving continues to be a major concern for police across the region. The Ontario Provincial Police notes charges, and offences remain high.

“This year, the OPP in Eastern Ontario has laid 1,983 impaired driving charges,” says OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson. “We always say one impaired driver is too many. This year 11 people have died as a result of someone making a conscious decision to get behind the wheel after they’ve either drank or consumed drugs, and it resulted in deaths. And that’s just a shame.”

The O.P.P.’s 2025 Festive RIDE campaign began Nov. 20 and runs through to January.

In the first week of the campaign, officers with the Upper Ottawa Valley detachment conducted 35 RIDE checks, with no impaired charges laid at the check stops themselves, but two drivers were charged with impaired-driving related offences during the same week following separate investigations.

Across eastern Ontario, provincial police say 34 drivers have been charged with impaired driving since this year’s Festive RIDE program began.

“We get out there and it’s nighttime, daytime, Monday and Friday, weekends. We could be anywhere,” says Dickson.

“The bottom line here is no matter how we do it, we are working to get impaired drivers off the road.”

While OPP RIDE locations remain random, the Ottawa Police Service is taking a different approach this holiday season by publicly posting the neighbourhoods where officers will be conducting RIDE checks each week.

“This holiday season, the Ottawa Police Service will be conducting RIDE programs and is asking drivers to keep our roads safe by celebrating responsibly,” OPS said in a release.

Police say the goal of sharing locations in advance is to encourage drivers to plan ahead.

Not everyone agrees with the strategy.

“I just feel like that’s counterproductive,” says Ottawa resident Scott Lefleche. “But if you’re impaired, you might not be thinking about that.”

DiMillio says she’s surprised by the change.

“I saw their post on X last night and I said ‘what?’” she says.

“I just couldn’t believe it because anybody who knows this city can easily get around those four corners.”

Despite the debate over enforcement tactics, MADD Canada says visibility remains critical, especially this time of year.

“Impaired driving is extremely dangerous, has huge costs for families, friends and communities,” says Valerie Keyes, president of MADD Canada’s Ottawa chapter. “In the city we have the LRT, we have buses, we have rideshares, we’ve got friends, families. There are ways around it.”

Police say regardless of where a RIDE stop is set up, drivers must comply when stopped.

“You are required to provide your licence, your registration, and your proof of insurance,” said Dickson. “And if you are asked to provide a breath sample at roadside, you are required to do so. That is the law.”

Ottawa police say impaired driving remains a persistent issue locally.

So far this year, 733 drivers have been charged with impaired-driving related offences, with 299 of those charges resulting from calls to 9-1-1. Police also report 166 collisions, including five fatal or life-threatening crashes where alcohol or drugs were a factor.

In a social media post on Saturday, Ottawa police said they charged 13 drivers with impaired driving in two days as part of its Festive RIDE program.

Police are urging the public to watch for signs of impaired driving, which include:

• not being able to stay in lanes
• weaving through traffic
• veering into sidewalks or other objects.

Anyone who suspects an impaired driver is asked to call 9-1-1 immediately. Anonymous tips can also be provided to Crime Stoppers.

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