Sudbury police have 29 RIDE spot checks planned for December

Jessica Casey does her best to keep drunk drivers from getting on the roads.

The server at The Coulson night club in downtown Sudbury says holiday shifts are incredibly busy, but staff are constantly trying to make sure patrons aren't over-served.

"Your first checkpoint is definitely at the door," Casey says. "You watch them when they come in, then monitor how many drinks they're having as much as possible — watching to see if they're staggering, have glossy eyes, if they're slurring their speech." 

​Holiday campaigns against impaired driving are now in full swing, including the Greater Sudbury Police Service's festive RIDE program. Staff Sergeant Rick Waugh says there are 29 spot checks scheduled to check for impaired driving during December.

"We do have spot checks during the day," Waugh says. "We've had incidents where people who've had alcohol the night before are getting back behind the wheel way too early. Those people aren't allowing themselves enough time to have the alcohol leave their system, and therefore they shouldn't be driving."

Impaired driving an ongoing concern

So far, Waugh says the number of impaired drivers doesn't exceed that of 2015. He says the holidays give preventative programs like RIDE more attention, but he's concerned about impaired driving, no matter the time of year.

The GSPS started to publish the names of those charged with impaired driving about two years ago, he says. But after 6 people were charged with impaired driving during November and four people were charged on Dec. 2 alone, Waugh says it's clear not everyone is getting the message.

"When you get those results, it's discouraging," he says. "Unfortunately people are still making the criminal decision to operate their vehicle while under the influence."

Hope in young drivers

Though preventative programs are still needed, Waugh says he has hope in the next generation of drivers.

"The culture of our community is changing, especially with our young people," Waugh says. "I think the message is getting out there that there's nothing good about impaired driving."

That's a message Casey doesn't hesitate to send. If patrons have had too much to drink and want to drive, Casey says she grabs security, a cab or the person's sober friends.

"You make it a point to say it's a safety concern, it's a liability for us [if that person drinks and drives]," she says. "We'll have to call the police if they continue to do that."