Novice Drivers to Be Rewarded

Wednesday, 9 December 2015 16:38

An anonymous Woodstonian gave 50 Tim Horton's gift cards to Woodstock Police to award novice drivers for driving sober.

WOODSTOCK - Someone in Woodstock is sending out warm wishes to young drivers who are being responsible behind the wheel.

Constable Nikki VanLeeuwen says an anonymous Woodstonian has donated 50 Tim Hortons gift cards to the Woodstock Police's R.I.D.E. program.

"We did a RIDE program on Saturday night and this person's son went through the R.I.D.E. program and it gave them an opportunity to have a conversation about drinking and driving and novice driving. And this person gave me a call and we had a conversation about our R.I.D.E. program and they wanted to do something to promote something positive with young people."

For the most part, VanLeeuwen says novice drivers seem to be getting the message. "Our stats are showing that their not consuming alcohol. There are other issues where we've found drugs in the car and underage people who have alcohol and have consumed alcohol, so we have other issues that are occurring that are troubling. But the drivers themselves are being responsible in terms of driving without alcohol in their system."

Many of us feel a sense of trepidation when we see those police lights flashing, but VanLeeuwen says this is a fantastic way to build a positive relationship with young people."Young people are nervous generally when they go through RIDE program and they have to deal with police. The young people are getting it as far as alcohol and driving. So it's amazing that a community partner has come forward to reward them for doing such an amazing job."

Anyone 21 or under must have a zero blood alcohol level while behind the wheel. "Obviously the consequences if you're impaired driving or if you have over 80 milligrams in your body you can be arrested, loose your license, have your vehicle towed, and potentially do jail time. But if novice drivers have any alcohol in their system you can lose your license for 30 days at least and receive fines up to $500 for that."

The Festive R.I.D.E. program will be continuing throughout the season, and police are sending out the K.I.S.S. message: Keep It Safe and Sober.