West Region OPP share details following 2025 Festive RIDE initiative

West Region Ontario Provincial Police have announced nearly 300 impaired driving charges as a result of their annual Festive RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) initiative.

The OPP West Region Headquarters represents Brant, Haldimand, Norfolk and surrounding counties.

Authorities say the initiative in 2025 began on Nov. 20 and ran until Jan. 1 and they conducted the most spot checks in five years.

According to the OPP, 3,095 checks across 13 detachments were completed.

The checks resulted in 269 impaired driving charges and 40 warn-range drivers license suspensions.

READ MORE: Brantford woman charged with impaired driving, drug trafficking, firearm offences

In data provided by the West Region Headquarters, 11 impaired driving charges and one warn-range suspension came from Haldimand County, eight impaired driving charges and no wide-range suspensions came out of Brant County and 18 impaired driving charges and three warn-range suspensions came from Norfolk County.

In 2024, the West Region resulted in 292 impaired driving charges and 19 warn-range suspensions across only 1,938 RIDE checks.

Province-wide, provincial police have laid 1268 impaired driving charges and 150 warn-range suspensions across 11,130 RIDE checks.

The OPP remind the public that they suspect someone is driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol to call 9-1-1 and report it.

READ MORE: OPP warns residents of signs of impaired driving ahead of New Year’s