NEWS RELEASE
SOUTH SIMCOE POLICE SERVICE
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Go Jays Go! It's the Easter long weekend and the 2018 Blue Jays Opening Day today. South Simcoe Police Service is celebrating with R.I.D.E. programs to keep you safe! Teams of officers will be conducting R.I.D.E. checks starting this afternoon and running each day through the long weekend.
Const. Ian Fenik of the Community Mobilization and Engagement Unit is giving drivers fair warning. "We want to publicize about the R.I.D.E. programs to prevent people from drinking and driving and letting people know that we’ll be out there. Basically if we catch someone they can’t blame anyone else but themselves for being caught in a R.I.D.E. program," said Fenik.
Officers will set up in various areas in Innisfil and Bradford West Gwillimbury and will be moving around throughout the evening. South Simcoe Police Service conducts R.I.D.E programs on a regular basis but expects higher demand on this first long weekend of spring weather. "We’ll be on the back roads. We’ll be on the busy roads, Anywhere and everywhere. I’ve noticed in my experience that the busy roads aren’t usually the ones where you catch the people. It's the back roads," Fenik said.
South Simcoe Police Service wants to remind drivers that there are alternatives available to get home safely. Canadian Designated Drivers, taxi services, Uber, public transit and of course friends and family are all options to avoid driving impaired and putting yourself and others in danger.
"There are so many different options to avoid drinking and driving or taking drugs and driving. There shouldn’t be anybody out on the road that's impaired," Fenik said.
Drivers charged with impaired get their licence suspended for 90 days and vehicle impounded for seven days. If convicted of impaired driving, you will lose your licence for one year and face a fine.
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