Throughout Thanksgiving weekend, Ottawa Police officers across the city will be on the lookout for impaired driving on roads and trails, speeding, stunt and aggressive driving, as well as safety on sidewalks.
The focus continues on road safety as both the Operation Overwatch and Noisemaker initiatives have concluded. The two campaigns saw over 7,000 tickets issued during the spring-summer campaign. Operation Overwatch saw over 5,000 speeding tickets issued and an average of 10 Stunt drivers stopped each week. Operation Noisemaker launched with the assistance of local OPP and City Bylaw Service officers resulted in 2,300 tickets, including 1,400 for speeding.
“Don’t become a statistic, make safe driving a part of your daily routine,” emphasized Ottawa Police Traffic Case Manager Craig Roberts.
This Thanksgiving weekend, RIDE check points will be set up throughout the city to check for impaired driving by drugs or alcohol. In the first six days of October, OPS have already seen 14 people charged with impaired driving-related offences and another two people who have had their driving licences suspended for warn-range violations.
“You don’t have to be completely inebriated to be a danger behind the wheel,” said Sgt. Troy Froats, Impaired Countermeasures with the Traffic Services Unit. “Driving while being buzzed by drugs or alcohol can lead to devastating consequences.”
There have already been the serious and fatal collisions on our roads. No matter what you are doing to enjoy the long weekend, make safety your first priority.
“We’re counting on everyone making the responsible choice this weekend, from physical distancing to road safety”, said Ottawa Police Traffic Services Sergeant Craig Roberts.