Police services across Ontario, including the Chatham-Kent Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police, have concluded their annual Festive RIDE campaign aimed at reducing impaired driving during the holiday season.
In Chatham-Kent, police say the Festive RIDE initiative ran from November 2025 through Jan. 1, 2026, focusing on removing impaired drivers from local roadways and reminding motorists to plan a safe ride home during a period of increased traffic and celebrations. During the campaign, officers conducted 23 RIDE programs and checked 2,894 vehicles. Fifteen roadside tests were administered, one three-day driver’s licence suspension warning was issued, and multiple Highway Traffic Act infractions were identified. No impaired driving arrests were made during the RIDE checkpoints themselves, though police report 25 impaired driving arrests occurred during the overall Festive RIDE campaign period.
Provincewide, the Ontario Provincial Police report that 766 impaired drivers were removed from Ontario roads during the same campaign. From Nov. 20, 2025, to Jan. 1, 2026, OPP officers dedicated more than 20,000 hours to enforcement efforts, conducting over 11,000 RIDE checkpoints across the province, sometimes in severe weather conditions. During that time, 150 immediate roadside suspensions were issued to drivers who registered a warn-range result or were subject to zero-tolerance requirements, including young, novice and commercial drivers.
Both police services emphasized that impaired driving enforcement continues year-round and reminded motorists that RIDE programs are conducted throughout the year as part of ongoing efforts to save lives on Ontario roads. The OPP also thanked members of the public who reported suspected impaired drivers during the holiday season.
Police noted that new impaired driving penalties came into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, reinforcing the message that impaired driving remains a serious offence with significant consequences.
