A holiday tradition designed to keep impaired drivers off Windsor-Essex roads is officially underway.
Multiple police, fire, paramedic, and social service agencies gathered at the Ontario Provincial Police's (OPP) Tecumseh detachment Wednesday to kick off the 2023 Project Red Ribbon campaign by MADD Windsor and Essex County.
The program is a partnership involving the OPP, Windsor police, LaSalle police, University of Windsor campus police, Essex-Windsor EMS, Windsor-Essex fire departments, and others.
Chaouki Hamka of MADD Windsor and Essex County told WindsorNewsToday.ca that the red ribbon remains a tried-and-true message to people to pledge not to drive while drinking or using drugs during the holiday season.
"It's a small and powerful ribbon," said Hamka. "You're making a commitment to driving sober. A red ribbon is also used to pay tribute to the thousands of Canadians who have lost their loved ones, have lost their lives, or have been injured as a result of impaired driving."
Hamka said strides have been made in getting people to not get behind the wheel impaired. However, every holiday season has had drivers not heeding the warnings, resulting in legal trouble, fines, hospital stays, and death.
According to the Essex County OPP, impaired driving arrests have been on the rise in 2023, but Hamka said a likely reason is increased detection before an impaired driver has a chance to hurt someone on the road.
"I believe that being in use has caught more impaired drivers, and a lot more charges have been laid because of it," said Hamka. "But certainly, some people still aren't getting the message. There are people out there who continue to ignore the consequences of impaired driving, and it's become a bigger issue than it should be."
Red ribbons and vehicle decals are available by contacting MADD Windsor and Essex County or visiting the MADD Canada official website. Ribbons are also available for pickup at all Essex County OPP detachments and police headquarters.
