The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) launched their Festive RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) campaigns to combat impaired driving over the holidays.
According to OPP West Region, 2,461 charges have been laid in relation to impaired driving so far in 2025, and 12 people have died in impaired driving crashes.
“What we’re trying to do is ensure that the roads that everybody shares are as safe as possible,” said Derek Rogers, OPP West Region media relations coordinator.
Rogers says drivers can expect more police on roads and highways with OPP doing RIDE checks 24-7.
He specifies though, that the police are not against holiday celebrations, “We know that they’re gonna get out and socialize and that’s wonderful! That’s part of the fun of the festive season but what we want is for everybody to do so safely.” Rogers explains, “We want everyone to get where they’re going without incident, without harming anyone else, or themselves.”
The RIDE campaign started on Nov. 20th and will continue until Jan. 1st 2026.
Local police services across the region, including London Police are also involved in the campaign.
MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) Canada has also launched their own campaign that coincides with Festive RIDE, called Project Red Ribbon.
