Seven drivers face three-day licence suspensions following long-weekend impaired driving blitz

An Ottawa Police cruiser is seen near the Elgin Street police station in Ottawa, on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

OTTAWA -

Ottawa police say a long-weekend impaired driving blitz resulted in more than a dozen charges and seven drivers having their licences temporarily suspended.

The blitz, called "Operation .08" was a partnership between the Ottawa Police Service, the OPP, RCMP, Military Police and MADD Ottawa. In a release, Ottawa police said 1,581 vehicles were stopped over the long weekend.

Police said seven drivers were given three-day licence suspensions following breath tests, including one novice driver and one commercial driver.

Nineteen drivers across the national capital region were charged with impaired driving this long weekend, police said, including seven who were involved in collisions that resulted in injuries or property damage.

Police were also monitoring the water and stopped 27 boaters. One boater had their licence temporarily suspended after providing a breath sample in the warn range.

Five commercial vehicles pulled from the road

Ottawa police also said a long weekend safety blitz involving the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation resulted in 15 stopped vehicles, nine of which were inspected.

Of those, five were found to have serious defects and were removed from service.

A driver of one of these vehicles was also given a three-day licence suspension because of the presence of alcohol, police said.