There were holiday parties over the long weekend, but they didn't lead to many drinking and driving charges, numbers from the Hamilton Police Service show.
Police say over a five-day period from Friday to Tuesday, six of seven people investigated through general road-side stops were charged with driving under the influence over the 80 mg blood alcohol limit. One person got a warning with a three-day license suspension.
For the holiday RIDE campaign that police conduct every year, five out of 12 people got the warning after not passing a breath test. Over the same five-day period, police stopped 4,324 cars as part of the campaign.
"To stop 4,000 cars plus, to only have five charges, that's good. That's very good," said Const. Jerome Stewart, media relations officer.
Increase in alcohol-related collisions
He said the numbers for drinking and driving are down for the weekend when compared to other long weekends in general.
"Those are better numbers, considered that it's over a four-day period rather than a three-day period."
However, Stewart emphasized in an email that "there is always room for improvement."
Alcohol-related motor vehicle collisions increased 50 per cent from last year, he said on Friday. That's when he partnered with Shawn Mondoux, an emergency physician from Hamilton Health Sciences, for a simulation of impaired driving using beer goggles.
"We still don't seem to have a high enough compliance rate," Stewart said.
Even without alcohol being involved, the snowy and cold conditions have made it difficult for people on the road. Norfolk County OPP said in a news release Wednesday they were investigating 18 vehicle collisions between Monday and Wednesday morning.
They warn people to "adjust their driving habits" with changing weather conditions, and to keep in mind that bridges and overpasses freeze faster and will stay frozen for longer.
