OAKVILLE, Ontario , May 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With the Victoria Day long weekend nearly here and summer just around the corner, MADD Canada and Allstate Insurance Company of Canada are reminding everyone about the importance of planning ahead for sober transportation.
“Whether you are on the roads, on the water or on the trails, operating any vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs puts lives at risk,” said MADD Canada National President Patricia Hynes-Coates. “We want everyone to have a wonderful long weekend and a great summer, but if you’re drinking or consuming drugs, please leave the driving to someone sober.”
Every year, hundreds of Canadians are killed and tens of thousands are injured in crashes involving alcohol and/or drugs. MADD Canada and Allstate Canada are asking everyone to keep roads, waterways and trails safe by:
- Never driving a car, boat, ATV or any other vehicle while impaired;
- Never getting into a vehicle being operated by someone who’s impaired;
- Calling 911 if you see a driver you suspect is impaired.
This weekend marks the official annual kick-off of MADD Canada’s Campaign 911 program. Sponsored by Allstate Insurance Company of Canada and Maritime-Ontario Freight Lines Limited, and supported by police and community partners, Campaign 911 encourages the public to call 911 to report a suspected impaired driver. The program runs all year round, but is promoted prominently through the summer and over long weekends, when the risk of impaired driving is high. For more information, visit MADD Canada’s Campaign 911 page.
“Allstate Canada is proud to support MADD Canada and its Campaign 911 program,” says Ryan Michel, President and CEO of Allstate Insurance Company of Canada. “By educating and empowering Canadians to call 911 and report suspected drivers, it not only helps police take impaired drivers off our roads but makes our communities safer for everyone.”
This weekend also marks the start of Safe Boating Awareness Week. For everyone getting their boats in the water for this holiday weekend, please remember that impaired boating is just as dangerous and just as illegal as impaired driving. With generous funding and support from Transport Canada, MADD Canada has worked with police services, municipalities and marine organizations to place more than 900 Report Impaired Boaters – Call 911 signs at harbours, marinas and boat launches across the country. An additional 120 signs will be placed this spring and summer.
“Alcohol is a factor in almost 40% of recreational boating fatalities, so there is a great need to educate boaters about the dangers of operating their vessels while impaired,” said Ms. Hynes Coates. “Our Campaign 911 program for the waterways reminds people that impaired boating is a crime that should be reported to police for the protection and safety of everyone on the waterways.”
MADD Canada has also produced public service announcements and other awareness materials highlighting the dangers of boating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. For additional information, please see our Campaign 911 On The Waterways page.
About MADD Canada
MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is a national, charitable organization that is committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime. With volunteer-driven groups in more than 100 communities across Canada, MADD Canada aims to offer support services to victims, heighten awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and save lives and prevent injuries on our roads. To learn more, visit www.madd.ca.
About Allstate Insurance Company of Canada
Allstate Insurance Company of Canada is one of the country’s leading producers and distributors of home and auto insurance products, serving Canadians since 1953. The company strives to keep its customers in “Good Hands®” as well as its employees, and has been listed five years in a row on the Best Employers in Canada list. Allstate Canada is committed to making a positive difference in the communities in which it operates and has partnered with organizations such as MADD Canada, United Way and Junior Achievement. To learn more about Allstate Canada, visit www.allstate.ca.
