It's the holiday season, and with parties and celebrations underway, there is also high likelihood of encountering impaired drivers.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Windsor and Essex County launched the 2024 edition of Project Red Ribbon on Wednesday at the Essex Centre Sports Complex.
Project Red Ribbon is the annual awareness campaign where if someone ties a red ribbon to their vehicle, they take a pledge not to drive if impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Accompanied by Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy, the Essex County OPP, Essex Fire and Rescue, Essex-Windsor EMS, and a crew from Twin Oaks Towing in Kingsville, the event was a stark reminder of the consequences of impaired driving.
MADD Windsor and Essex County Community Leader Chaouki Hamka said the heightened awareness, to a point, means that impaired drivers are being removed from the roads before they hurt themselves or someone else.
"They show you statistics, but I've mentioned many, many times before, more people are definitely getting caught," said Hamka. "Law enforcement is out there tackling impaired driving day and night."
The OPP's Festive RIDE campaign is a prime example of increased enforcement during the holiday season, with more patrol officers and increased RIDE checkpoints.
With more drivers getting arrested, Chaouki said it still does not change the fact that people are choosing to drive if they're drunk or high.
"At the same time, it still does show that they're still out there driving impaired," said Hamka. "So we are catching them early on before a crash occurs, and at the end of the day, we need people to lessen that mentality, and change those attitudes about getting behind the wheel while impaired by drugs or alcohol."
The OPP said that every hour in Canada, nearly ten impaired driving federal charges and provincial short-term licence suspensions are laid.
Hamka said it should never cross someone's mind that they would put someone out if it meant that they would get home safely.
"If you really think about it, it's a selfish, stupid decision to make when you put yourself and others at risk just because you don't want to inconvenience yourself by leaving your car overnight, or paying a $25 cab ride, or a $30 Uber ride," said Hamka. "It's selfish. It really is."
