Provincial police are reminding drivers that they are as prepared to deal with drivers who are impaired by drugs and alcohol.
It is the first Festive RIDE campaign since the legalization of non-medical cannabis.
So far in 2018, alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in the deaths of 39 people on OPP-patrolled roads.
From Jan. 1 to mid-October 2018, the OPP laid more than 6,700 impaired driving charges across the province, 283 of which were impaired by drugs.
"Drivers who consume cannabis and think they can avoid detection by the OPP need to think again,” says Interim Deputy Commissioner Rose DiMarco. “The OPP has a strong set of tools and skills that enable them to take drug and alcohol-impaired drivers off our roads.
The OPP's Standardized Field Sobriety Test-trained officers and Drug Recognition Experts have been in place for years and continue to prove effective in identifying drug-impaired drivers.
Novice, young (under 22) and commercial vehicle drivers cannot have any alcohol or drugs in their system while driving.
When transporting cannabis in a vehicle, it must be in its original package that has not been opened, or it can be packaged in baggage that is fastened closed or is not otherwise readily available to any person in the vehicle.
