MADD renews push for awareness during National Impaired Driving Prevention Week

Mar 22, 2023 | Canadian News, Headlines

National Impaired Driving Prevention Week is in full swing with MADD Canada continuing to spread awareness and push new technology to stop drunk driving.

“In your life time, two out of three Canadians are impacted, meaning you know somebody personally that would have been hurt or perhaps killed from an impaired driver,” Bob Carreau, a member of the board of directors for MADD Toronto chapter told Humber News.

Carreau said that MADD Canada has two missions, to support the victims of impaired driving, and to reduce the number of fatalities, injuries and the amount of impaired drivers.

“Four people on average are killed every day in Canada from impaired driving,” he said.

“That’s just way too much, and 175 people are injured every day in our country!”

Carreau’s son Robert was on a run with some friends when he was struck and killed in 2020 by an impaired drive while.

Because of that, Carreau joined MADD Canada to help prevent more unnecessary deaths.

According to MADD statistics, 10 people on average are charged with impaired driving every hour.

“MADD goes to a lot of high schools and even middle schools for impaired driving safety presentations,” Carreau said.

“We want younger people to understand the severity and to prevent young people from making horrible mistakes,” he said.

“Impaired driving is such a serious thing especially because not only is my life at risk but so are other peoples,” said Chloe White, a student in the Addictions and Mental Health program.

“Hitting someone is my biggest fear. I would never get behind the wheel while impaired,” White said.

“It’s just extremely unfortunate that so many people know that driving while impaired is bad but they still do it,” she said.

In 2022 alone an estimated 1,500 people were killed by impaired drivers.

MADD Canada chose this week, March 20 to 26, to spread awareness about the impact of impaired driving and its impact on live, as well.

“This week, we are meeting with members of parliament to bring new technology to Canada to stop impaired drivers from getting on the road,” Carreau said.

In the U.S. President Biden signed a new legislation that all new vehicles, starting in 2027 will be equipped with technology to prevent impaired drivers from even turning on the engine.

“This technology is nothing like a breathalyzer. It’s actually scanning your retina, it can sense alcohol or drugs through your skin. And this will prevent a person from starting the car,” Carreau said.