Automated licence plate recognition identifies suspended impaired driver, police say

A suspended driver is facing multiple charges – including impaired driving – following a northern Ontario traffic stop on Friday afternoon.

On Dec. 29 shortly before 4 p.m., a member of the James Bay Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachments was alerted by his vehicle’s automated licence plate recognition system that a vehicle was registered to a suspended driver.

“OPP stopped a vehicle on Highway 11, in Clute Township, west of Cochrane,” said police in a news release Saturday.

“As the officer was speaking with the driver, it was determined that they had been consuming alcohol.”

The driver was arrested and transported to the Cochrane OPP detachment for further testing.

As a result of the investigation, the driver, a 42-year-old man from Burk’s Falls, Ont. has been charged with two impaired driving offences, failing to comply with a probation order and for operating a motor vehicle while prohibited under the criminal code. Additionally, the suspect’s driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days and the vehicle involved was impounded for 45 days at the owner’s expense as a result of driving while previously criminally suspended.

Police say suspended driver is was stopped operating a vehicle while impaired. The vehicle involved has been impounded for 45 days. (Supplied/OPP)This incident comes only two days after the OPP announced that they had laid more than 10,000 impaired driving charges so far in 2023 – a 16 per cent increase compared to 2022.

The accused was released with a court appearance slated for Jan. 16 to answer the charges.

None of the allegations has been proven in court.

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“With three days remaining in the Festive RIDE (reduce impaired driving everywhere) campaign, the OPP remains committed to taking impaired drivers off our roads through enforcement and public education through the new year,” said police in the release.

Throughout OPP’s Festive RIDE campaign, which began Nov. 16, officers have laid more than 1,200 impaired driving charges.

In our region, police have charged 87 people as part of the Festive RIDE campaign, 11 were from proactive traffic stops, 31 were from calls from the public, 14 were from ride-check programs and 31 were from collisions.

"I would say that it's disappointing because this is something that is very well publicized as far as our increased presence for targeting impaired drivers,” said OPP Const. Kyler Brouwer, in a recent interview with CTV News.

“It's unnecessary, there are alternatives you can take, you can get a designated driver, take a taxi, make alternate plans. We don't need to be driving impaired, it affects, it injures, it can kill other people."

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Provincial police are also reminding the public to call 9-1-1 if they see a suspected impaired driver and to remember not to drive after consuming drugs or alcohol.