SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, April 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MADD Canada starts a new year of its powerful “Impaired Driver Caught Here” mobile sign campaign today in communities around the province, in partnership with the provincial RID (Report Impaired Drivers) program.
MADD Estevan, MADD Meadow Lake, MADD Prince Albert, MADD Saskatoon, MADD Regina and – for the first time – MADD Moose Jaw – will place signs at locations within their communities where impaired drivers were caught and criminally charged. In many cases, impaired drivers were caught by police following 911 calls from the public.
“This campaign reminds the public about the important role they play in helping police take impaired drivers off the roads, and reinforces the message that if you see a driver you suspect is impaired by alcohol or drugs, you can call 911 to report it,” said Tracy Crawford, MADD Canada Western Regional Manager.
Featuring the messages “Impaired Driver Caught Here” and “Call 911”, the signs are moved to new locations every other week by MADD Canada Chapter and Community Leader volunteers in each community. The campaign is a collaboration among MADD Canada’s Saskatchewan Chapters and Community Leaders, local police services in each community and Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI).
The campaign is being kicked off with local events today, followed by special sobriety checkpoints hosted by each community’s police service this evening. Sober drivers who go through those checkpoints will be rewarded for making the safe and responsible decision with gift cards to local businesses. One lucky sober driver in each community will receive a $75 gift card.
The mobile signs reinforce the message of Saskatchewan’s RID program and MADD Canada’s Campaign 911 program, which both encourage the public to call 911 to report suspected impaired drivers so that police can take them off the roads before potentially deadly crashes occur.
MADD Canada’s latest statistics show that in 2019, nearly 87,000 criminal charges and provincial licence suspensions were laid for impaired driving. That is about 232 charges and suspensions for every 100,000
Canadians. In Saskatchewan, 3,993 charges and suspensions were laid, or 341 for every 100,000 residents in the province.
“Impaired driving continues to be a serious problem that happens at all times of day and in all communities,” Ms. Crawford said. “We believe these signs send a strong deterrent message and highlight that fact that driving impaired is just never worth the risk. It’s not worth having your licence suspended, it’s not worth having a criminal record, it’s not worth the fines and legal fees. Most importantly it’s not worth the risk of a crash that kills or injures you, or other people.”
MADD Canada, law enforcement and SGI encourage the public to:
- Never drive impaired. Plan ahead for a sober ride home – book an Uber, call a cab or designated driving service, take public transit or arrange a designated driver.
- Never accept a ride from a driver who may be impaired.
- Call 911 if you see a driver you suspect is impaired.
About MADD Canada
MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is a national, charitable organization that is committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime. With volunteer-driven groups in more than 100 communities across Canada, MADD Canada aims to offer support services to victims, heighten awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and save lives and prevent injuries on our roads. To learn more, visit www.madd.ca.
