Editor:
Campaign 911, a successful road safety campaign that enlists the help of the public to identify impaired drivers, has come to the Village of Burns Lake.
MADD Canada’s 'campaign 911' encourages citizens to call 911 to report suspected impaired drivers to police.
“Campaign 911 involves the public in the effort to stop impaired driving,” said MADD Canada’s western region services manager Tracy Crawford. “Reporting suspected impaired drivers gives police the chance to stop those drivers before a potentially deadly crash occurs.”
Getting behind the wheel impaired puts the driver, his or her passengers and every other person on the road at risk. Every year in Canada, hundreds of people are killed and tens of thousands are injured by impaired drivers.
“The injury and loss of life caused by impaired driving are needless tragedies. Plan ahead and make responsible decisions over the holidays, and help keep our community safe by reporting drunk drivers.”
MADD Canada and the Village of Burns Lake are urging Canadians to help keep this holiday season free from impaired driving crashes.
Plan ahead if you are going to be drinking or consuming drugs - take a cab or bus, arrange a designated driver or plan to stay over; never drive impaired or ride with an impaired driver; if you see a driver you suspect is impaired, call 911 to report it to police. The call you make could save a life.
“Impaired driving is a policing priority all over B.C. We are lucky in Burns Lake to have a community that takes this issue seriously and works together in an effort to keep everyone safe,” says staff sergeant Charlotte Peters, detachment commander of the Burns Lake RCMP. “Please call 911 if you suspect impaired driving. We are here to help.”
The campaign 911 message is simple: if you see a driver you suspect is impaired, note the make of the car, licence number, location and direction of travel, and call police. Information on the signs of a possible impaired driver is available on MADD Canada’s web site at www.madd.ca.
Every day, on average, four people are killed in impaired driving crashes and 174 are injured. Every one of these crashes is preventable.
By calling 911 and reporting suspected impaired drivers to police, all Canadians can play a role in keeping our roads and waterways safe and in reducing impaired driving crashes, deaths and injuries.
Sincerely,
Tracy Crawford
Port Coquitlam, B.C.