London police say they laid nearly 40 impaired driving-related charges during the first half of this year’s Festive R.I.D.E. campaign.
Officers released the stats Friday. During 10 R.I.D.E. checkpoints, they issued 39 charges after conducting 27 roadside tests, and more than 7,200 vehicles were stopped in total, police said.
“We encourage everyone to be responsible when they choose to consume alcohol. It doesn’t matter if it’s a holiday or not,” said Const. Jessica Mullen.
“Every day of the year, get a cab, call a friend, have a designated driver, or make alternate arrangements. Every day of the year, it’s important to not drink and drive,” she said.
However, Mullen said these aren’t the final numbers for this year’s campaign.
“The stats are coming from 10 out of the 15 R.I.D.E programs so we will be able to compare the final numbers after we complete the next five R.I.D.E programs,” said Mullen.
Officers will run five more R.I.D.E. checkpoints through this month and next.
During last year’s festive R.I.D.E. program, 11,000 vehicles were stopped and more than 50 charges were laid.