743 people charged with impaired driving in Ont. over the holidays

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) wrapped up their annual roadside campaign to reduce drunk driving this week, which culminated in hundreds of charges across the province.

During the six-week period between November 21 and January 1, officers conducted more than 9,000 roadside checks and charged 743 people with impaired driving.

“These drivers rang in the new year with the threat of losing their driver’s licence for a full year, and paying the tough financial penalties associated with this serious Criminal Code offence,” police said in a press release issued on Friday.

OPP also issued 155 licence suspensions to drivers whose blood alcohol levels tested between 0.005 and 0.008.

Penalties for impaired driving range from immediate licence suspension, fines, enrollment in treatment programs, vehicle impoundment and/or jail time.