Friday, February 7th, 2025

Constable Mark Kinney is concerned you might not get it.

Kinney, who works with the Huronia West detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Wasaga Beach, would like to remind citizens not to avoid any Reduced Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) programs they encounter during the holidays.

“I don’t think people grasp the concept of RIDE,” he says. “If the OPP stops you at a RIDE, you will get home. But if you circumvent a RIDE program and you have had too much to drink, you could get into a collision and even kill yourself.”

The repercussions of drunk driving go past the person behind the wheel of the car, Kinney says. “It goes beyond the criminal aspect. It’s about your safety, the safety of your neighbours and of your community.”

On Friday, November 29, the OPP held a RIDE program on Frances Street West in Creemore at 3:30 pm. Of the 60 vehicles the OPP officers checked, not one driver was found to be under the influence of alcohol.

“It’s a success,” says Kinney. “It is very positive that we checked so many vehicles and found that everybody was conscious of being safe on the road and not drinking and driving.”

Afternoon checks are just as important as having RIDE programs at night, Kinney says. “People drink at different times of the day. One-year results from our research showed that almost as many individuals drink in the morning as in the afternoon and at night.”

Kinney also mentioned that alcohol addiction or substance abuse issues can rear their ugly heads at any time of the day. As well, some people might consume alcohol until the early morning hours, and still have it in their system when they wake up.

“At this time of year, it is not uncommon for people in the holiday spirit drink at lunch or in the afternoon,” adds Kinney. “It can be easy to consume too much alcohol at a festive event before realizing you shouldn’t drive home.”

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