Chatham-Kent police were out in force over the long weekend, making sure the rules of the road were followed.
RIDE programs were conducted across the municipality in connection to the national Canada Road Safety Week campaign. That campaign is one of many that focus on the "Big Four" traffic offences; distracted driving, impaired driving, aggressive driving, and driving without a seatbelt.
Locally, CK officers were on the lookout for the same offences.
On Friday, May 16, police said more than 400 vehicles were checked at multiple locations resulting in only eight Highway Traffic Act (HTA) cautions.
On Saturday, May 17, police reported that 18 incidents happened in Wallaceburg, seven tickets were issued for not wearing seatbelts and cell phone usage while driving. One person was charged with driving with a suspended licence.
On Sunday, May 18, 19 incidents were recorded. According to police, 31 tickets were issued and one roadside breath test was given.
On Sunday, May 19, RIDE checks resulted in 53 traffic stops.
Overall, during Road Safety Week, Chatham-Kent police carried out 11 RIDE programs, stopping just under 1,100 vehicles.
Officers handed out 220 tickets for speeding, and another 60 Highway Traffic Act charges were laid. The next highest offence was for using an electronic device (7), followed by seatbelt infractions (6), and careless driving (2).