Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Motorists attempting to talk their way out of a sobriety test this holiday season may as well save their breath.
They’re going to need it for the alcohol-screening device.
The Lennox and Addington OPP officially kicked off their annual Festive RIDE (Reducing Impaired Driving Everywhere) campaign this week, with a few alterations. That includes liberal use of the mandatory alcohol screening law, which gives officers the ability to request drivers blow into a device regardless of whether or not they are showing any signs of impairment.
The law was first introduced in Ontario in December of 2018 and will be used quite frequently this holiday on the roads in L&A County.
“The reason this was passed was because in jurisdictions throughout the world where they’ve done mandatory testing, they’ve seen a dramatic reduction in impaired caused fatalities,” explains L&A County OPP detachment commander Insp. Scott Semple. “It’s become very effective in detecting impaired drivers.”
One strong breath into the machine is all it takes to instantly determine a blood alcohol content. Police can administer the test while maintaining their distance between themselves and the driver. If the blood alcohol content registers over 100 mg/dL, it’s considered a fail and can lead to criminal charges. Anything between 50 and 100 mg/dL is a ‘warn’, which is enough to result in a short-term driving suspension from 24 hours to seven days.
“It doesn’t matter if (a driver tries) to talk (their) way out of it to get through, they’re getting tested no matter what,” said Semple. “We just want people to know that change is occurring in L&A County.”
Impaired isn’t just limited to drunk drivers either. Officers will also be using RIDE checks to ensure drivers aren’t under the influence of cannabis or any other drug.
“We have three drug recognition experts (DRE) in our detachment,” said Semple. “If an officer stops somebody and they suspect they’re under the influence of any drug, they do a roadside screening themselves. Then once they feel they have grounds that, yes this person is under the influence of something other than alcohol, they can ask for a DRE officer to come and do a test which is quite extensive.”
Semple says even though recreational cannabis is now legal, drivers should treat it the same as they would alcohol.
“Don’t consume it and drive, just like the messages have been for years on alcohol,” said Semple. “Take a cab, have a designated driver, stay over night, whatever you have to do, just don’t drive if you consume anything, then you don’t have to worry about it.”
Though the detachment conducts RIDE checks all through the year, the province has provided the Town of Greater Napanee with funding to increase the amount of checks they do during the holiday party season. Despite the pandemic, police continue to enforce the rules of the road to keep communities safe.
In order to keep drivers on their toes, police will be staggering the times and locations in which they set up a RIDE check.
“We have pivoted and changed our tactic instead of always running them at night time hours, midnight or 1 a.m., we still do, but we are finding that people who have been out drinking overnight are still impaired at 8 a.m.,” said Semple. “They may feel they’re fine, they go home and get a couple hours sleep and then they go to work. What we found is that they’re still impaired.”
If there’s any doubt as to whether someone is fit to drive, don’t chance it said Semple.
“My advice would be, expect it all the time,” Semple said of RIDE checks.