MADD Durham reminds everyone to stay safe on the roads

You may be indulging in a few festive cocktails at holiday parties this weekend, but Mothers Against Drunk Driving is urging you to get home safely.

The risk for impaired driving is high at this time of the year, so MADD says everyone can help keep the roads safer by planning ahead—arrange for a designated driver, call an Uber or a cab, or take public transit.

“Remember that driving is a privilege, not a right,” said Trisha Dosaj Makarov, the director of victim services at MADD Durham Region. “When you get on the road and you’re driving, and if you are impaired then what happens could affect somebody else’s family—somebody’s brother, sister, mother, father, aunt, uncle, grandparent.”

This holiday season marks the first that the mandatory alcohol screening is in effect across Canada. Under Bill C-46, law enforcement will be able to demand a breathalyzer test, even if a driver doesn’t show signs of impairment.

Up until Dec. 18, when the new law came into effect, police had needed reasonable grounds to conduct this test, such as slurring or the smell of alcohol.

MADD is also reminding people to never ride with a driver who is impaired by alcohol or drugs, including cannabis, and if you do suspect someone is an impaired driver, call 911 right away.