(PERTH COUNTY, ON) The Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is hoping that if you intend to consume alcoholic beverages this New Year’s eve that you plan for a safe ride home.
Any amount of alcohol can impair one’s ability to drive. If you are stopped by the police and register a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in the “warn range†of .05 to .08, you could face an immediate driver’s licence suspension. If you are found to be over the legal limit you will face a 90 day driver’s licence suspension, a court appearance and your vehicle is impounded for 7 days. All of these penalties are inconvenient and costly.
The Festive Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) campaign began on November 23 and runs until January 2, 2014. During this campaign so far in Perth County, five people have been arrested and charged with Impaired Driving, Being over the Legal Limit or Refusing to Provide a Breath Sample. Another two people have received 3 day, 7 day or 30 day driver’s licence suspensions for registering ‘warn’ on the roadside screening device.
Expect to see Perth County OPP officers continuing to conduct RIDE checkpoints into the new year as part of the OPP’s Provincial Traffic Safety Program.
Be responsible, if you drink, don’t drive, arrange for a designated driver, take a taxi or stay overnight. It is not worth risking your life or the lives of others. Let’s all plan ahead and do our part in making this a safe New Year’s celebration for everyone.