A few minutes spent planning a sober ride home could save lives and prevent injuries, that is the message from MADD Saskatoon as they kick off another Project Red Ribbon season.
Bonny Stevenson, President of the Saskatoon Chapter, says the campaign runs from November 4th until January 4th. She says the idea is to tie a red ribbon to your vehicle, key chain purse or backpacks to signify a commitment to sober driving. This year MADD Saskatoon also has the cooperation of the Saskatoon Police, who will be out with their mobile testing unit, and a partnership wth all taxi cabs and rideshares to display the red ribbon this holiday season. Stevenson adds the bottom line is to plan a safe ride home, there’s a lot of ways to get rides home and the red ribbon is a constant reminder of that. She explains that during the campaign any donations made will stay will MADD and go to the causes they support.
MADD Canada says every year hundreds of Canadians are killed and thousands injured in crashes with impaired drivers. While the usual parties and celebrations may be limited this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the holiday season is still a busy time on Saskatoon roads and will still a time of high risk for impaired driving
MADD says Saskatoon and area residents can join the effort to prevent impaired driving this holiday season by getting a red ribbon and then:
- Put the ribbon on your car, your purse or briefcase, your bike or your backpack to show your commitment to sober driving.
- Pick a day to wear RED in support of Project Red Ribbon.
- Show your spirit and share your pictures on MADD Canada’s Facebook
(www.facebook.com/maddcanada.ca), Twitter (@MADDCanada) and Instagram (madd_canada) using #ProjectRedRibbon.
Red ribbons and car decals are available from MADD Saskatoon at maddsaskatoon@gmail.com MADD Canada web site at madd.ca
Holiday Party Tips from MADD
Holiday parties and gatherings may be more limited this year, but these tips will help party-goers and party hosts reduce the risk of people driving impaired, whether it’s a gathering of 5 or 50.
For Party Goers
If you’re making rounds to holiday parties and are planning on drinking alcohol or consuming cannabis, eliminate the risk of driving impaired altogether by planning a sober transportation option:
- Book an Uber.
- Take a cab.
- Take public transportation.
- Arrange a designated driver.
- Plan to spend the night.
For Party Hosts
If you are hosting a party, think about how you can ensure your guests don’t drive impaired:
- Have lots of food and non-alcohol/low alcohol beverages available.
- Serve drinks yourself so you can monitor how much your guests are consuming. Don’t serve alcohol to guests who are already intoxicated. Stop serving alcohol long before you expect the party to wind up.
- If guests are consuming cannabis, try to be aware of their consumption / impairment levels.
- Know how your guests are getting home and who is driving.
- If you have Uber in your area, download the app.
- Have taxi numbers available.
- Be prepared to have intoxicated guests spend the night at your house.
