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■■'jtjti&itai-' ! COMMUNITY CALENDAR • LIFESTYLES • SPORTS • COMMUNITY CORRESPONDENCE • TV LISTINGS Wednesday, December 2, 1998 SPOT CHECK -- Durham Regional Police Const. Rick Flynn hands a driver a Holiday R.I.D.E. coupon book. The books will be given to sober drivers stopped by police during holiday spot checks. Proceeds from the coupon book will go to the Variety Club. Holiday R.I.D.E. Program Kicks Off by Jennifer Stone Staff Writer It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas on local roads, thanks to the Durham Regional Police (DRP) Service's holiday season R.I.D.E. program. The program kicked off last Thursday with a R.I.D.E. (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) spot check outside outside DRP headquarters in Oshawa. Starting last Friday night, a team of 60 officers began operating Christmas spot checks aimed at preventing drinking and driving. "What motorists should know about is that impaired driving can not and will not be tolerated," said DRP Superintendent John Hamilton, adding last year's program program was "very successful." Seventy-five people were charged with drinking and driving offences over the 1997 Christmas season. About 41,000 vehicles were stopped during that time. "During the month of December, fatalities have consistently consistently been less and less each year," said the Superintendent. Still, he added, he's "not so sure everyone everyone is heeding the message." Also announced at the R.I.D.E. kickoff was the donation donation of two cellular phones from Williams Communications in Oshawa for police use during the holiday season. The phones will be used to help police officers keep in contact, to call taxis for those charged, and for another important reason. "The accused person has a right to counsel ... they (the phones) can be used to call a lawyer," said the DRP officer who made the announcement. As in years past, a Holiday R.I.D.E. coupon book will be handed out to each driver who is stopped but has not been drinking. Proceeds from the coupon book go to the Variety Club to support disabled children. Superintendent Hamilton says community safety is the main goal of the R.I.D.E. program. "The goal would be zero fatals and zero impaired drivers. That probably is not a reality. We want everybody everybody to be there ... on Christmas Eve," he said. Spot Checks Stop Over 6,000 Cars Eighteen people were arrested and the legal amount of alcohol in their sys- charged with drinking and driving tern. Eight of those people were charged offences during the first weekend of the with impaired driving. Durham Regional Police Service's annual Spot checks ran in Clarington, holiday R.I.D.E. program. Oshawa, Whitby and Pickering last week- About 6,000 vehicles were stopped end. As a result of the checks, people across Durham Region last weekend, up were also charged with offences such as from 5,000 one year ago. Ninety-seven possession of a controlled substance, people were given roadside breath tests, driving without insurance, and various resulting in 33 twelve-hour suspensions Highway Traffic Act violations, for people who registered a warning, and R.I.D.E. spot checks will continue 14 charges for people driving with over throughout the holiday season. Trails May be a Little Safer Thanks to New Program by Jennifer Stone Slaff Writer Durham Region's snowmobile trails may be a little safer this winter, thanks to a new partnership between Durham Regional Police (DRP), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC). The STOP (Snowmobile Trail Officer Patrol) partnership was announced last week at a media conference at DRP headquarters in Oshawa. "We had four deaths last year in a Region where we don't usually have deaths" due to snowmobiling, says DRP Const. Shawn Arnott of the Traffic Management Unit. Forty-one snowmobile-related deaths were reported in Ontario for the 1997-1998 season. The Durham deaths all happened in Lake Seugog, says Const, Arnott, He adds he has been looking into this program for the past three years. Last year's statistics simply "added fuel to the fire," he says. The program allows OFSC volunteers to receive training from the partnering police services, and be sworn in as special constables constables and provincial offences officers. The STOP officers are able to enforce the Motorized Snow Vehicle Act on snowmobile trails by issuing tickets or making arrests. As well, they help police in checking for snow- mobilers who arc' under the influence of alcohol. Const, Arnott says the program should also help find stolen snowmobiles and crack down on riders who don't carry the required insurance, "The cost is minimal, since so much of the time is volunteered," says Const, Arnott, adding equipment costs will be incurred over the next couple of years by the snowmobile clubs. Full implementation of the program is expected to take three years. The program has been in operation in Sudbury since 1992. Since then, a number of areas have joined STOP. Local police officials officials arc confident the program will be successful successful in Durham, "It should have quite a significant impact," says DRP Chief Kevin McAlpine. Eir*" •mi.TJi «nti.it i$~.t erwrn^ rs n .vs rvi v* Foriy-one snowmobile- related deaths were ried in Ontario -7 998 season UUOKlUai »i^MUW.111 fcV dpi *r»-v*iue UV-ltrU