“The mission of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) Canada is to stop impaired drivers,” says Ontario West Director Chaouki Hamka. “It started just from a daughter’s bedroom. A concerned citizen in the US, which evolved into a big passion and organization determined to stop impaired driving, and more importantly, to support the victims.”
Chaouki Hamka, Ontario West Director for MADD Canada (Image source: MADD.ca/Call911)
Founded by John B. Gates in 1989, MADD Canada stands as a volunteer-driven Registered Canadian Charitable Organization working to achieve its goal in a number of different ways:
- Victim/Survivor Services – Programs of support for individuals who have lost a loved one or suffered a serious injury as a result of an impaired-driving crash.
- Youth Services – Specialized programming for elementary, middle schools and high school students to educate them about the dangers of mixing alcohol and/or drugs with driving.
- Public Policy – Addressing the impaired driving problem in Canada through the promotion of legislative best practices in impaired driving countermeasures (federal and provincial/territorial levels.)
- Technology – Partnering with international traffic safety organizations, automobile manufacturers and technology companies to explore technological solutions to stop impaired driving.
- Public Awareness and Education – Campaigns to reach out to the public about the dangers of impaired driving and how they can help improve safety on our roads, waterways and trails.
*Information retrieved from MADD Canada*
Project Red Ribbon (MADD.ca)
Project Red Ribbon is their “longest standing public awareness campaign.” Beginning November 1 to January 3, this project aims to promote sober driving during the holiday season. Hamka says “this is the busiest time of the year on most social calendars, and the risk for impaired driving is high.”
MADD Canada and their Community Leaders across the country will be distributing thousands of red ribbons for Canadians to display on their vehicles, key chains, backpacks etc. According to Hamka “the Red Ribbon is a small but yet powerful symbol of your commitment to making safe and responsible choices.”
Every hour in Canada, an average of 10 federal criminal charges and provincial short-term licence suspensions are laid for alcohol or drug-impaired driving. However, Hamka says our criminal justice system is still weak in regards to proper punishments and consequences for driving under the influence.
“Impaired driving is a criminal act and needs to be treated as such to the highest degree. Many innocent people are dying and are being injured because of it. But unfortunately, the criminal justice system is still broken in that sense. We’re hoping that we can strengthen it to get harsher penalties, stronger sentences, and more importantly, effective laws.”
He questions with new technologies, such as self-driving cars, what that means for inebriated driving. But Hamka says with projects like Red Ribbon and by working together, we can prevent the tragic deaths and devastating injuries caused by impaired driving.
To donate to Project Red Ribbon, click here.
10 Possible Signs of an Impaired Driver
- Driving unreasonably fast, slow or at an inconsistent speed
- Drifting in and out of lanes
- Tailgating and changing lanes frequently
- Making exceptionally wide turns
- Changing lanes or passing without sufficient clearance
- Overshooting or stopping well before stop signs or stop lights
- Disregarding signals and lights
- Approaching signals or leaving intersections too quickly or slowly
- Driving without headlights, failing to lower high beams or leaving turn signals on
- Driving with windows open in cold or inclement weather
ALWAYS MAINTAIN A SAFE DISTANCE FROM ANY DRIVER YOU SUSPECT MIGHT BE IMPAIRED. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEATBELT.
What To Do If You Observe a Potential Impaired Driver
- Call 911 (If you are driving, pull over first if you can safely do so)
- State your location
- Vehicle description
- Licence plate number of vehicle
- Colour of vehicle
- Make and model of vehicle
- Direction of travel for the vehicle
- Description of driver
*Information retrieved from Mothers Against Drunk Driving – Campaign 911*
We ask Canadians to display our red ribbon or red ribbon car decal on their vehicles, keychains, purses, briefcases or backpacks, as a reminder that it is NEVER OKAY to drive drunk or drive high. #ProjectRedRibbon pic.twitter.com/FHdZ1P57ml
— MADD Canada (@maddcanada) November 5, 2021
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