The holiday season means more parties, more drinking and, unfortunately, often more people behind the wheel of a car that shouldn't be.
Guelph Police, Wellington OPP and the local MADD chapter were on hand at the Clair Road Emergency Service Centre Wednesday for the launch of the annual Festive RIDE Campaign.
It's a time of year when everyone has to be more vigilant, said Sgt. Dave Doxey, traffic unit supervisor with the Guelph Police Service.
"There's more celebrating going on at this time of the year than other times, just with it being the festive season," said Doxey.
"Office parties, work parties, staff parties, even just employees going out in groups amongst themselves to celebrate the holiday season after work. The frequency of incidents we have is a little higher at this time of year."
Police conducted a RIDE program on Gordon Street early Wednesday afternoon as part of the campaign.
Doxey said part of the Festive RIDE Program is aimed at awareness and deterrence.
"We're reminding people that his is a crime in progress and some of the consequences of it can be very, very severe," Doxey said.
The Festive RIDE Program runs primarily later in the day in Guelph, but Wellington County OPP often run one in the early morning.
"It might be surprising to members of the public that are being stopped, but it's not to us," said Wellington County OPP communications officer Cherie Rockefeller.
"Some people drink until until well into the early hours of the morning, go home and get a few hours sleep and then think they can get behind the wheel of their car and drive. That's just no the case," she said.
Lucas Applegarth, vice-president with MADD Wellington County said not only do people celebrating the holidays need to be more aware of how, when and where they consume alcohol, but so do those hosting the celebrations.
"People need to be cognizant of their co-workers and other people, whether it's language, slurring words or whether you have seen them having more to drink than you think they should. It's also about promoting the idea of taking keys away.
"These are all things that people can do to help curb drunk driving in addition to what the officers are doing."
