MADD says confronting loved ones can be tough
Posted October 7, 2016 8:17 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – There’s a good chance you will hit a police roadcheck over this Thanksgiving long weekend and the head of Mothers Against Drunk Driving hopes you’ll breeze right through it.
“We’d like to give thanks for everyone who is making the right choice this Thanksgiving by choosing to not drive while impaired by drugs and alcohol,” says MADD Canada’s National President Patricia Hynes Coates.
However, keeping drunk drivers off the road after a family gathering can sometimes mean a difficult confrontation at the end of the night if a friend or family member insists that they are okay to drive. “To me it’s a no brainer. You have to stop this person from driving impaired. If you really love them, or you care about somebody who is out on the road that day, them you need to stop this from happening,” she tells NEWS 1130.
“I would not be able to live with the consequences of knowing that my loved one left my home while impaired and ended up injuring or killing themselves or someone else. It’s worth the risk — have them mad at you. Take their keys and throw them in the woods. Don’t allow them to leave your home while they are impaired.”
Hynes Coates says it’s easy to call a cab, arrange a designated driver or make space for them to stay overnight. “Please make the responible choice. Don’t let anyone drive while impaired by drugs and alcohol.”
ICBC says 78 people die in motor vehicle crashes involving impaired driving each year in BC.
