DURHAM REGION - With 5 weeks under their belt, Durham Region Police have so far charged 122 motorists with drinking and driving offences, 13 more than at this time in 2010 (109).

Enforcement was concentrated on Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa, Courtice and Bowmanville with the following totals (last year’s Week 5 results are in brackets):

• 1,239 - vehicles were stopped by Festive R.I.D.E. (1,772)
• 108 - people were given Roadside Breath Tests (85)
• 22 - people received suspensions for registering a “WARN” (22)
• 1 - Novice Driver received a 24hr Licence Suspension (0)
• 25 - People were charged with Drinking and Driving Offences (25)
• 33 - Criminal Code Charges were laid against the 25 people charged (31)
• 10 - G1 G2 / Young Driver License Holder Breaches of No Alcohol Condition (9)
• 51 - charged with various Highway Traffic Act offences (35)
• 1 - Drug Arrest (0)

The 25 motorists who were charged ranged in age from 20 to 60, seventeen men and eight women. All but five were from Durham Region.

Note: Under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, anyone charged with a drinking and driving criminal offence will have his or her driver’s licence suspended for 90 days and there vehicle impounded for seven days.