(PERTH COUNTY, ON) – Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers are currently actively involved in in Canada Road Safety Week which runs from Tuesday May 17th, until Monday May 23rd 2016. During this Canada wide campaign police agencies ramp up their enforcement with the goal to save lives on Canada’s roads.
This initiative focuses on raising awareness on the “Big Four” major causes of death and injuries on roadways: impaired driving, aggressive driving, distracted driving and failure to wear or improper use of seat belts.
In addition to the “Big Four”, Perth County OPP officers also continued their patrols and enforcement actions at intersections and roadways that are heavily travelled during the Victoria Day Long Weekend.
Since the start of the “Canada Road Safety Week” this Tuesday, Perth County OPP officers have been actively patrolling local roadways and have already conducted large numbers of Reduce Impaired Drivers Everywhere (RIDE) programs.
On Wednesday May 18th, RIDE programs resulted in one motorist receiving a “three day suspension”, while another was arrested for an “over 80” charge.
-Shortly before 2 p.m. on Wednesday May 18, 2016, an SUV entered an OPP RIDE program on Perth Line 72 West of Newry. The driver was found to have been drinking alcoholic beverages. A three day driver’s licence suspension was issued following a warn range result on the roadside screening device. The 68 year old male driver from St. Clements was served with a three day driver’s licence suspension. His vehicle was driven from the scene by a sober passenger.
-On Wednesday May 18, 2016, shortly before 10 p.m. a Volkswagen Jetta entered an OPP RIDE program set up on Line 36 North of Stratford. The male driver was spoken to and the odour of an alcoholic beverage was noted on his breath. He failed a roadside breath test and failed two subsequent Intoxilyzer breath tests at the Perth County OPP Detachment in Sebringville.
As a result, 23-year-old Martens, Leahm EHGOETZ of New Hamburg has been charged with the following Criminal Code of Canada offence: “driving with more than 80 mg of alcohol in blood”. He was released from custody and is to appear at the Stratford Court of Justice on Monday June 6, 2016, to answer to this charge. He also received an automatic 90-day driver’s licence suspension and his vehicle was impounded for seven days.
Perth County OPP officers will continue to target and patrol problem traffic locations within Perth County and increase visibility in those areas during the Holiday Weekend and during the Canada Road Safety Week period.
Motorists and road-users are urged to make road safety one of your top priorities this Holiday Weekend.