A 37-year-old Owen Sound man is facing impaired driving charges after police say he attempted to avoid a roadside checkpoint on the city’s west side on March 29, 2026.
According to the Owen Sound Police Service, officers were conducting a R.I.D.E. program shortly after midnight when they spotted a vehicle make a U-turn before reaching the stop. An officer followed the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop several kilometres outside the city limits.
Upon speaking with the driver, officers reported observing signs of impairment and noted that empty alcohol containers were visible inside the car. The man was taken to the station, where a qualified breath technician administered tests that showed his blood alcohol concentration was approximately three times the legal limit.
The driver now faces two charges under the Criminal Code, including impaired operation of a motor vehicle and operating with more than 80 milligrams of alcohol in his blood. As a result of the arrest, his vehicle has been impounded for seven days and his licence has been suspended for 90 days. He is set to appear in court on May 5, 2026, to answer to the charges.
This incident follows the implementation of tougher impaired driving penalties in Ontario that took effect on January 1, 2026. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation updated provincial rules to include an extended 10-year look-back period for prior offences and mandatory education programs for first-time offenders. Recent data from the OPP West Region highlights the ongoing local enforcement efforts, with 25 impaired driving charges laid in the Grey Bruce area during the most recent holiday campaign.
