Police across Ontario kicked off the annual Festive Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) Campaign on November 17, 2022, following an official Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) kickoff event in Mississauga, ON. The Festive RIDE Campaign, which runs from November 17, 2022, to January 2, 2023, is an annual provincial traffic safety campaign where officers conduct RIDE initiatives 24 hours a day, 7-days-a-week throughout the province. It engages all Ontario police services in detecting, charging, and removing alcohol/drug-impaired drivers from Ontario roads.
During the campaign, police across the province will conduct RIDE stops, randomly checking drivers for alcohol and/or drug impairment. Impaired driving remains the leading criminal cause of death in Canada. Police in Ontario are especially concerned that, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada, the impaired driving rate increased by 7.1% in 2021 after two years of decline.