Here's how many drivers the OPP nabbed in eastern Ontario during the first week of the Festive RIDE

(CTV News file image)

Twenty-three drivers across eastern Ontario have been charged with impaired driving since the start of the Festive RIDE one week ago, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

Since Nov. 21, hundreds of drivers have been stopped to ensure they were not impaired by alcohol or drugs, the OPP said in a news release Friday.

"Impaired drivers are a threat to everyone on the roads, including themselves, their passengers, other drivers and even pedestrians. If you plan to drink or consume drugs, make sure you have a plan. Have a designated driver, take transit, a ride-share or taxi, or just stay put,” said Chief Superintendent Lisa Wilhelm, OPP East Region Commander.

The OPP warns that there is no specific timing for RIDE programs to take place, as they "can happen anywhere, anytime - day or night."

A new survey by CAA suggests that more people are driving high in Ontario. The survey of 1,664 Ontario drivers 19 and up found that nearly one in five (19 per cent) admitted to consuming cannabis before getting behind the wheel, up from five per cent the year before. The survey also found that the most common reasons for driving while impaired by cannabis included drivers thinking they didn't take that much, that they had no other way to get home, or that they thought it would only be a short drive.

The Ottawa Police Service said Thursday in a news release that so far this year, 752 drivers have been charged with impaired driving-related offences in the capital, 299 of which were the result of people calling 9-1-1. Police also reported 195 impaired driving-related collisions, including 12 with fatal or life-threatening injuries. A total of 885 people were charged with impaired driving-related offences in 2023 in Ottawa.

People who suspect an impaired driver are asked to call 9-1-1.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Ted Raymond