THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay Police are thanking drivers – Police in a media statement report, “It was the fourth year in a row – no fatal collisions in the City of Thunder Bay for the month of December and New Year’s Day! It was also one of the warmest months on record, allowing officers an opportunity to really enjoy the contacts that were being made.”
Thunder Bay Police ran just over twenty dedicated RIDE program shifts, some in co-operation with the officers from the Ontario Provincial Police and CNR Police, and stopped just over 4,500 vehicles.
Thunder Bay Policer say that there were were ten drivers who were charged with impaired driving as a direct result of the RIDE programs. Last year it was 18. This is a major drop in the numbers, greater than the overall Ontario statistics just reported by the Ontario Provincial Police.
Another five drivers during the month of December decided to find themselves charged as a result of crashing their vehicle (non-RIDE related). All of these drivers will be walking or riding the bus for 90 days and all had their vehicle towed and impounded for a week.
Forty eight drivers provided samples of breath at roadside at the RIDE locations, and thirteen of those were issued a three day suspension for hitting a “warn” range reading. Many of these drivers waved goodbye to the tow truck. Eight suspended drivers were detected during the drive-through RIDE. They watched their vehicles being loaded onto tow trucks as well. It seems it was a busy month for tow trucks despite the mild weather.
Officers reported that it was either very quiet, or very busy. Some shifts saw nothing except very tired designated drivers or those who were enjoying the trip home with their Rednose team drivers. Other shifts saw three drivers arrested within minutes of each other just after bar closing time.
Officers moved frequently which likely helped to keep drivers on their toes.
Police do report however that “One very large retailer was compelled to bring a replacement delivery truck in from Winnipeg when an employee was caught driving impaired when making deliveries. That vehicle was impounded in the same fashion as a personal vehicle would have been”.
