OAKVILLE, Ontario, May 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As Canadians look forward to the Victoria Day holiday weekend, MADD Canada is asking everyone to do their part to keep roads, trails and waterways safe by never operating a vehicle impaired.
“We hope everyone has a happy and fun holiday long weekend,” said MADD Canada National President Jaymie-Lyne Hancock. “We also hope to see a weekend free from the tragedy of impaired driving crashes. Every one of us can help make that happen.”
The crashes, deaths and injuries caused when people drive impaired by alcohol, cannabis or other drugs are entirely preventable. Leave the driving to someone sober and make the commitment to:
- Never drive a car, boat, ATV or any other vehicle while impaired;
- Never get into a vehicle being operated by someone who’s impaired;
- Call 911 if you see a driver you suspect is impaired.
Those looking for a safe, sober and reliable ride home at the push of a button can check out Uber, MADD Canada’s Official Designated Driving App. Visit https://www.uber.com/ca/en/ for more information.
The Victoria Day long weekend marks the annual start of MADD Canada’s Campaign 911 program. This national awareness effort encourages people to call 911 if they see a driver, boater or rider they think is impaired. Partnering with police, municipalities, regions harbours, marinas and other organizations, MADD Canada and its Chapters and Community Leaders bring the Campaign 911 message to communities across the country through signs and billboards, public service announcements, posters and community events. For information on the signs of an impaired driver or impaired boater, please visit MADD Canada’s Campaign 911 pages.
Campaign 911 runs all year long, but is promoted more heavily during the spring and summer months when Canadians are travelling to and from cottages, enjoying road trips and vacations, and spending time on trails and waterways. MADD Canada thanks Maritime-Ontario Freight Lines Limited for its generous and long-term sponsorship of this important program to make roads and communities safer.
This weekend also marks the start of the Safe Boating Awareness Week, May 20-26. MADD Canada is pleased to partner once again with Transport Canada’s Boating Safety Contribution Program to raise awareness of the risks of boating impaired, and to encourage boaters to call 911 to report operators they suspect are impaired. With financial contributions from the program, MADD Canada has produced and installed nearly 1,500 “Report Impaired Boaters” signs at harbours, marinas and boat launches across the country, and plan to install 100 more signs by the end of this boating season.
We are also producing new television and radio public service announcements to promote sober boating during the upcoming season, and will conduct an online survey from May to December to better understand boaters’ behaviors and attitudes about impaired boating.
To view MADD Canada’s public service announcements and other awareness materials highlighting the dangers of boating while under the influence of alcohol, cannabis or other drugs, please see our Campaign 911 On The Waterways page.
