MADD launches Red Ribbon Campaign to discourage impaired driving this holiday season

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) officially launched its Project Red Ribbon Campaign on Wednesday as a way to promote safe and sober driving this holiday season.

The 36th annual initiative aims to show respect for the people who have lost their lives or have been injured due to alcohol and drug-related crashes.

The red ribbon also acts as a reminder to make smart decisions that include planning ahead, taking an Uber or taxi, using public transit, spending the night, or designating a sober driver.

“I think the most difficult thing to process for people is to know someone could have done something different and that this is preventable,” said Brian McAsey, deputy chief of the Calgary Fire Department.

“It’s especially hurtful that someone could be so callous or so unthoughtful to be under the influence of drugs, alcohol or have a lack of sleep and then get behind the wheel and take other people’s lives.”

The heartbreaking incidents of impaired driving have created feelings of deep frustration, emptiness, and sadness for Calgarians over several decades.

Diana Derowin’s family has felt the negative effects of impaired driving on three different occasions.

Her father was permanently injured, her cousins were left orphaned and her daughter died two years ago due to an impaired driver.

Makayla Poland was 28 years old when she was hit by an impaired driver who was operating their vehicle erratically on June 8, 2021, just west of Okotoks.

Derowin says she lost her best friend and still can’t imagine life without her.

“She went back to school after becoming widowed and she had such a bright future,” she said.

“The guy that killed her took her away from all of that, took her away from her children, devastated our family, her brothers, her grandparents, everyone.”

Makayla Poland (middle) is pictured with her two children. (Courtesy: Diana Derowin)

Derowin adds that stricter laws against impaired driving should be top of mind for Canada’s legal system.

“He got three years and now we get a life sentence,” she said.

“How many people of all ages need to die before laws are changed?”

Funds raised through the MADD Red Ribbon Project from Nov. 1 to Jan. 8, 2024, will go toward the continued growth and development of education programs to promote sober driving in Calgary and across the country.

IMPAIRED DRIVING CHARGES ON THE RISE: CPS REPORT

According to the latest statistics from the Calgary Police Service, there were 2,306 immediate roadside sanction contraventions last year.

In 2023, as of Oct. 20, there have been 2,025 contraventions issued, which marks a 34 per cent increase over the average of the last two years.

Since Bill 21 was implemented in Dec. 2021, Calgary police officers have issued more than 6,000 immediate roadside sanctions.

Bill 21 changed how impaired drivers were penalized by taking them out of the court system to free up police resources.

The act introduced new, immediate roadside penalties to get impaired drivers off the street.

A first-time offender for impaired driving now must pay a fine of $2,000 and have their vehicle seized for up to 30 days and their licence suspended for 90 days.

After 90 days, the driver can then apply to take part in an interlock program for one year.

Repeat offenders are subject to harsher suspensions and mandatory education programs.

DRUG-USE BECOMING MAJOR CONCERN BEHIND THE WHEEL

Cst. Dan Kurz with the Calgary Police Service alcohol and drug recognition unit says officers will be implementing several checkstop events throughout the holiday season to crack down on drivers who are impaired.

He notes, however, it’s not just alcohol that becomes a major concern, but also the use of other drugs such as cannabis behind the wheel.

“We’re actively training new officers for drug recognition,” said Kurz.

“We've noticed that drug impairment has been a new trend within Canada all around the world, but we've noticed this trend rising so we've invested in training operators in the fields who can screen you at the side of the road now for drug impairment.”

Kurz adds that a shift in the culture of drugs with the legalization of cannabis in recent years has also made it more difficult to prevent impaired driving incidents.

“Quickly thereafter we had COVID which threw a wrench into kind of everything so all of that information about legalization was kind of lost during COVID.

“Now we're just kind of getting back to it with legalization reports and all of this information and how we're doing with cannabis which allows us to ascertain from law enforcement and public policy perspective, where we're at with cannabis because it's still in the grand scheme of things it's brand new.”