Vernon RCMP kick off impaired driving prevention week with drunk driving arrest

This week marks National Impaired Driving Prevention Week across Canada. MADD Canada joins governments, law enforcement agencies and community organizations in raising awareness about the risks and consequences of impaired driving.

In Vernon, RCMP said they began the week by successfully taking an impaired driver off the road. In a tweet Tuesday, Vernon North Okanagan RCMP said, “[We] Started #ImpairedDriving Prevention Week off by taking an impaired driver off the road Monday after they allegedly blew 4x over the legal limit at just 10:00 in the morning. #Frontline officers will be out all week looking for impaired drivers. #StopImpairedDriving #RCMP.”

Started #ImpairedDriving Prevention Week off by taking an impaired driver off the road Monday after they allegedly blew 4x over the legal limit at just 10:00 in the morning. #Frontline officers will be out all week looking for impaired drivers. #StopImpairedDriving #RCMP pic.twitter.com/dk7jlNI7hy

— Vernon North Okanagan RCMP (@VernonNOkRCMP) March 19, 2019

Established in 2018, the third week of March every year will mark National Impaired Driving Prevention Week and aims to encourage all Canadians to help prevent impaired driving and keep roads safe.

“Crashes involving alcohol, cannabis or other drugs, or a combination of those substances, kill hundreds of Canadians, and injure tens of thousands more, every year,” said MADD Canada Chief Executive Officer Andrew Murie. “These tragedies are entirely preventable. Everyone can help prevent them by always driving sober, by choosing a sober ride home if you are drinking or consuming drugs, and by calling 911 to report a suspected impaired driver.”

To illustrate the consequences of impaired driving, MADD Canada will be sharing the story of a victim/survivor each day on social media:

View this post on Instagram

It’s #ImpairedDrivingPreventionWeek. We’ll be sharing victim & survivor stories to show the toll impaired driving takes, and highlight the importance of prevention. These tragedies are preventable — they do not have to happen. Here is DJ’s story. http://bit.ly/2UDgU8P

A post shared by MADD Canada Official (@madd_canada) on Mar 18, 2019 at 8:41am PDT

View this post on Instagram

#impaireddrivingpreventionweek We can all prevent impaired driving crashes like the one that took Craig’s life. (link: http://bit.ly/2UJBcxv) bit.ly/2UJBcxv Please never drive impaired, never ride with an impaired driver & call 911 if you see a driver you suspect is impaired.

A post shared by MADD Canada Official (@madd_canada) on Mar 19, 2019 at 7:33am PDT