SE OPP – Festive RIDE Campaign Begins

This holiday season, the Superior East Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) will be on the lookout for impaired drivers and keeping Ontario roads safe for everyone.

The Festive RIDE campaign has become a familiar and important part of the holiday season and will begin on Thursday, November 20, 2025, and continues throughout the holidays until Thursday, January 1, 2026.

During Festive RIDE, officers will use Mandatory Alcohol Screening (MAS) to identify impaired drivers. MAS allows police to demand a roadside breath sample from any lawfully stopped driver, without needing reasonable suspicion. In addition to criminal charges, fully licensed drivers who refuse testing or register a blood alcohol concentration over 0.08% face a 90-day licence suspension and 7-day vehicle impoundment. Young, novice, and commercial drivers (A-F, G1, G2, M1, M2) must follow zero tolerance, meaning no alcohol in their system. Driving under the influence of drugs is just as dangerous and carries the same severe penalties.

Communities can expect an increased police presence, with officers conducting RIDE checks around the clock. Please approach all checkpoints slowly and with caution. Let’s work together to prevent tragedy this holiday season: If you suspect an impaired driver, call 9-1-1 or 1-888-310-1122.

Whether you are impaired by alcohol or drugs, impaired is impaired and driving under the influence of either is a criminal offence.

Author
Recent Posts

OPP

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) provide policing services throughout Ontario. Our officers are responsible for policing over one million square kilometres of land and waterways. They provide frontline policing services to more than 320 Ontario municipalities and patrol over 126,000 kilometres of provincial roadways.

Wawa-news.com You can't hear the 'big picture'!

SE OPP – Festive RIDE Campaign Begins

Related Articles