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York Regional Police will be out on roads, water on Canada Day and throughout summer

The penalties for drinking and boating are the same as drinking and driving
NewmarketToday Staff
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NEWS RELEASE
YORK REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE
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York Regional Police is reminding our citizens to be safe and follow the laws when celebrating this Canada Day and throughout the summer. Every summer York Regional Police, York Paramedics and fire and emergency services respond to preventable tragedies on our roads, out on the water and at homes across the region.

Officers will be out on Canada Day and throughout the summer conducting RIDE spot checks and patrolling our streets to stop impaired drivers, aggressive drivers and other behaviours that put others at risk.

Members of the Marine Unit, working with South Simcoe Police, will be out on the water to assist boaters, as well as conducting vessel checks, throughout the summer to ensure all the necessary safety equipment is onboard and all operators have their mandatory Pleasure Craft Operators Card (PCOC). All those spending time in a boat or near the water are encouraged to enjoy it, but do so responsibly.

If you drink or do drugs, don’t drive. When it comes to drinking and boating, the same rules apply when out on the water as when you’re operating a car on the road. The penalties for drinking and boating are the same as drinking and driving. York Regional Police reminds boaters that each year people die needlessly in accidents on Ontario waterways. Most fatalities on the water are preventable if smart choices are made before leaving shore.

York Regional Police is also reminding residents that fireworks can only be set off on the following calendar days: Victoria Day, Canada Day, or New Year’s Day, without having obtained a permit issued by your municipality in accordance with the terms of the bylaw. Setting off fireworks on public property is against the law, unless you have a permit.

This video from the Canadian National Fireworks Association also has some great tips and information to help stay safe.

If you see any situation you believe constitutes an immediate risk to public safety, including a possible impaired driver or a dangerous driving situation in progress, please call 911. Together, we can work to make our roads, lakes and communities safer. 

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