More Drunks, Fewer Crashes During December

The Traffic and Marine Safety Section of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say that its roadside spot check program has uncovered more alcohol related offenses, but that there were fewer collisions than last year.
Statistics for the second week of the festive season driving initiative for all OPP jurisdictions in the province of Ontario (December 6 – December 12, 2001) of the five week R.I.D.E. campaign, which runs until January 2, 2002, show a total of 144,944 vehicles were checked at roadside checkpoints.
A total of 278 12-hour suspensions were issued and 128 persons were charged with alcohol related offences, an increase of 33 from the same period in 2000.
The Ontario Provincial Police issued 116 Administrative 90 Day Drivers Licence Suspensions during Week No. 2. Traffic collisions were down during the second week of the R.I.D.E. initiative with OPP personnel investigating 1,278 traffic collisions, down from 1,699 collisions in 2000. There were 5 fatal collisions investigated by OPP personnel where 5 people were killed. These figures are down from last year.