Spreading Holiday Cheer Starts with Sober, Drug-Free Driving

OPP Set for Robust Festive RIDE Campaign

Orillia – With impaired driving on the rise on Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)-patrolled roads in recent years, the OPP is wasting no time in keeping roads safe, as holiday season gatherings and travels ramp up and the provincial Festive RIDE campaign gets underway.

During the annual campaign, road users can expect to see an increase in OPP RIDE initiatives throughout the province, as officers work around the clock to ensure motorists are driving sober and drug-free.

Drivers pulled over at RIDE checkpoints who are suspected of being impaired can expect to get a rare glimpse of the sophisticated, methodical process, tools and expertise OPP officers apply to investigating and detecting alcohol and/or drugs in a driver.

The OPP thanks the citizens who have placed more than 21,000 calls to report suspected impaired drivers this year. They encourage people to continue being proactive with those extra eyes and voices that are needed to help take these dangerous drivers off the road.

Being proactive also means being a host or a guest at a holiday party who is part of a solid plan that ensures no one drives impaired. This is one of the most impactful ways people can help make roads safer for family, friends and fellow citizens.

The OPP thanks everyone who does their part to help keep Ontario roads free of impaired driving – not just during the holidays, but throughout the year.

Please have a safe and happy holiday season!

QUICK FACTS

• The Festive Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) campaign is led by the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) Traffic Committee and runs from November 20, 2025, to January 1, 2026.
• Thirty-four (34) people have died on OPP-patrolled roads in alcohol/drug-related collisions so far this year.
• Under Ontario’s Zero Tolerance law, it is illegal for young, novice and commercial drivers to have any amount of alcohol or drugs in their system.