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Driving Home in the Morning? Think again...
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| RumRunner |
OPP Plan RIDE Checks in the Morning
Nov 28, 2007 02:07 PM
Curtis Rush
Staff Reporter
The Ontario Provincial Police have kicked off their Christmas Season RIDE program but it has a strong, new twist as police try to match wits with impaired drivers in what's becoming a cat and mouse game.
The program, Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere, has been expanded to include checks during the early-morning and evening rush hours and moving RIDE checks that include both marked and unmarked vehicles.
"We were doing RIDE yesterday morning at Keele and Highway 401 at 6:30 and got a guy," OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley said today. "I personally have arrested drunks in the morning rush hour."
The program also has more officers than ever before.
"We expanded it because people aren't getting the message," Woolley said.
"We were almost exclusively late afternoon and now we've expanded it to include some early morning and afternoon. We're moving it around. We're spreading it out. We know that drunk driving can happen at any time, although most of it happens in the evenings."
Woolley said many people may be surprised to learn that even enjoying a night of drinking the night before at the office party can still leave them impaired the next morning on the drive to work.
"Alcohol doesn't dissipate that fast and you can't speed it out of your system by drinking coffee," Woolley said.
"A lot of people are conscious about drinking and driving. They will take a taxi or sleep over, but people should keep in mind that if they drink any more than a moderate amount, the alcohol will still be in their system."
The OPP sergeant referred to a recent OPP controlled test of five university students who drank from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. in a hotel and at 7:30 the next morning, four of five were still impaired.
The new get-tough strategy, under OPP commissioner Julian Fantino, is aimed at getting the message through that drinking and driving is not acceptable and there is a zero-tolerance policy.
Woolley said that people seemed to be getting the message in the 1980s, but police are finding progress has slowed in the past 15 years.
"It's become a lot of white noise for people," Woolley said.
In addition to early-morning RIDE checks, police will set up moving RIDE checks in both marked and unmarked cars.
Woolley said police are also getting smarter and they will focus on motorists trying to escape a RIDE check by making that sudden U-turn.
Specially deployed officers will be on the lookout for those drivers.
"We will set up the checks so those drivers will become obvious," Woolley said.
Moving RIDE programs can include unmarked patrols, so the car pulling up beside you may be an officer checking to see if you're impaired. It's all designed to trip up people trying to escape the obvious spotchecks.
"Spotchecks are obvious," Woolley says. "If you're driving around and you don't see any police cars at the side of the road, it doesn't mean they aren't driving amongst you in unmarked cars watching what you're doing."
So far this year on Ontario roads, 74 people have died in crashes where alcohol was a factor - a 25 per cent increase over the same period last year.
"Motorists have to understand that it's not acceptable to drink and drive," Fantino said in a statement. "The OPP will be out there on highways we patrol every day and we have a zero tolerance policy toward anyone we stop who has been drinking."
Citizens have also been helping police enforcement by dialing 911 to report weaving cars.
"So, it's not just avoiding the police anymore," Woolley said. "People have really been reporting this more and more to us."
Last year, during the five-week blitz, 814,536 vehicles were stopped at roadside checkpoints.
Of those, 339 persons were charged with alcohol-related offences and a total of 802 12-hour licence suspensions were issued. They are issued if drivers blow between .05 and .08. Officers also issued 365 90-day administrative driver's licence suspensions.
Woolley notes it is also a crime to refuse a breath test.
Officers will also be on the lookout for aggressive drivers, those speeding and people not wearing seat belts.
The festive RIDE program ends Jan. 2. |
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| The Highroller |
| quote: | Originally posted by RumRunner
The OPP sergeant referred to a recent OPP controlled test of five university students who drank from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. in a hotel and at 7:30 the next morning, four of five were still impaired. |
lol |
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| geroin |
| i'm not even gonna say anything.. |
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| Zentac_75 |
^Is probably the case with anybody who endulges in spirits or other hard liquors.
Not trying to preach, just letting those who enjoy 'drinking' as much as I do know how easily your driving record gets f*&^#&.
Saturday I started drinking at 9....stopped at 1am.
tried to start my car *ignition interlock* (irresponsible behaviour years ago resulted in this 'godsend') at 830 am. no go...
no go no go no go until 11 45 am. almost 11 full sober hours later.
Just a bolded footnote now that the city is cracking down on people in the morning.
And don't think 'water''eating''gum' etc....help the situation. They do, but in very miniscual (sp?) percentages.
Heed the warnings 'drinking' brethren.
The BS one goes through being convincted of DUI is thick, not including the stigma of taking a girl on a date, and having to expain/justify that your not an alcoholic.
'Tolerance' is a myth. Heavy drinkers feel fine in the morning, because their body is accustomed to compensating for their BAC levels...but if you get pulled over and have to blow...the reading will be the same as if it is your first time tasting mother vodka.
Really not preaching...just very sad that I didn't have someone drilling these things in my head years ago. |
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| jon jon |
Do you know how many times I've been drunk (like wasted) almost 15+ hours after of said "party madness"?
Many Times. |
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| Zentac_75 |
Cheers to those who enjoy a good 'drink'!!!
Jeers to those who believe they are legally capable or driving home in the morning...or early afternoon in many cases.
*More Ideas to for heavy drinker, to keep yourself and your license safe*
DRIVESAFE
DRIVESAFE Personal Alcohol Tester is a portable instrument that is simple to use, yet provides an accurate measure of breath alcohol concentration for transportation safety needs. This portable breath alcohol tester may be used for personal needs, clinical safety or compliance testing in the workplace.Simply turn on DRIVESAFE and after an automatic circuit test, a “ready” light and audio tone tell you DRIVESAFE is ready. Then just breathe into the mouthpiece. In only a few seconds, the audio tone stops to tell you that DRIVESAFE has completed the test. The alcohol content is indicated on the meter to the nearest 0.01 percent. After 25 seconds, DRIVESAFE automatically turns off.DRIVESAFE is small (14.0cm x 6.8cm x 3.5cm), and uses AA alkaline batteries so you can carry it with you and use it anywhere. Mouthpieces are included and DRIVESAFE is backed by our one year limited warranty. Technical specifications.
Price to AWO members: $119.89 (includes PST and GST).
Order from: LVF Specialties, 5115 Charles Street, Beamsville ON L0R 1B7
Tel: +905.563.8050 | Fax: +905.563-3223 | Email: [email protected] |
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| Invasionmix |
| if they had it for like half the price I would buy that thing. I've been to a strip club where you put in a dollar and it lets you blow in it and tells your your BAC level which is a pretty smart idea, but probably bad for bars since people will know when to stop drinking. |
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| Pett |
| cool, im going to order that breathalyser |
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| E2EK1EL |
My friends have these ...
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| Owen M |
| quote: | Originally posted by Invasionmix
if they had it for like half the price I would buy that thing. I've been to a strip club where you put in a dollar and it lets you blow in it and tells your your BAC level which is a pretty smart idea, but probably bad for bars since people will know when to stop drinking. |
something grosses me out about having one of those in a strip club |
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| Owen M |
| quote: | Originally posted by E2EK1EL
My friends have these ...
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make and model number? price? |
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