St. Patrick’s Day RIDE Initiative

On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, members of the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) conducted R.I.D.E. spot checks in the Cities of Thorold, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.

Throughout the night, officers stopped over 300 vehicles and inquired if any of the drivers had consumed any alcohol or drugs earlier in the evening.  In total, 30 drivers were required to provide a sample of their breath for analysis.  Each of these drivers provided a sample of their breath that resulted in an acceptable range and were free to drive away.

Police also issued 22 Provincial Offence Notices (tickets) to drivers for various traffic related offences, which included one driver who was charged with driving while under suspension and two drivers who did not have valid insurance.

The Niagara Regional Police Service remains committed to reducing impaired driving offences through education and the apprehension of offenders through enforcement programs like R.I.D.E.

Impaired driving remains the leading criminal offence causing death in Canada.

This initiative has been made possible, in part, as a result of grant funding from the Ministry of the Solicitor General as part of the Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (R.I.D.E) program.