MADD and LPS hoping to stop impaired driving

The Lethbridge Police Service and the Lethbridge and Area Chapter of the Mothers Against Drunk Driving are once again joining forces. The two groups are encouraging motorists not to drink and drive when they get behind the wheel. You will see mobile signs throughout the city where impaired drivers have been charged starting in May. Staff from MADD say there are close to 87,000 federal impaired driving charges and provincial license suspensions every year and they are hopeful this campaign will lower those numbers.

“One this is going to make the public aware that impaired driving happens anywhere and anytime. It’s going to be a little chocking when they see these signs popping up in their areas and know that they’re driving the kids to school or that’s the route they take to go to work. We’re also hoping that it will encourage people to make that all important phone call and call 911 if they suspect somebody is driving impaired,” says Anita Huchala, the President of the Lethbridge and Area MADD Chapter.

The Acting. Sgt of the Traffic Response Unit for the LPS, Brent Paxman, adds that the Lethbridge Police charged 272 impaired drivers last year, 293 in 2020, and over 400 in 2019,”They’re out there and we’re catching them every month. A program like this we’re hoping will provide awareness for people before they make that decision and stop it before it happens and awareness for people to call 911 if they suspect an impaired driver.”

The announcement coincides with National Impaired Driving Prevention Week. The government of Canada says the total number of police reported drug impaired driving incidents increased by 43 per cent from 2019 to 2020.

You can visit the MADD Lethbridge website for more information on the sign locations https://maddchapters.ca/lethbridge/