Organizations promote safe driving during the holidays

The holidays are a time to be with loved ones, but its also a time where impaired driving increases.

Operation Red Nose, a volunteer chauffeur service, hopes to change this.

It’s a program that helps people who are too tired or impaired get not only themselves home safely, but their vehicle as well.

Operation Red Nose wants to make sure drivers and their vehicles get home safely over the holidays. (Operation Red Nose Saskatoon/Facebook)

A team of three work together to get the job done. A driver and navigator work to get the person home and the third team member drives the caller’s vehicle.

Tom Armstrong, Operation Red Nose volunteer, joined the Evan Bray show to discuss how it works.

Listen to the full interview here:

“We’ll drive you home and put your car where you want it,” Armstrong said. “We ensure that you’re safely in your home before we depart.”

The operation runs off of donations which go o to the Ronald McDonald House and Lion Speed Skating Club in Saskatoon.

Armstrong said not everyone donates money after they’ve been dropped off.

“It was upsetting the first few times somebody would look at you and say, ‘Well, it’s free, right?’” he said.

Armstrong said others take a little time before donating.

“Some people will not make a donation, and they thank you, and go about their way, but after a day or two, or maybe the next weekend, they’ll call and make a donation,” he said.

The program runs in Saskatoon, The Battlefords and Prince Albert until December 31.

In Saskatoon there are 40 volunteers to cover the city, Martensville and Warman.

Saskatchewan RCMP encourage safe holiday driving

RCMP are urging the public to make responsible choices before getting behind the wheel.

In the first 11 months of 2024, RCMP encountered over 3,700 drivers who had recently consumed alcohol and or drugs and got behind the wheel.

Those interactions resulted in around 1,400 charges and 2,300 roadside suspensions.

Dec. 1-7 was Canada Safe Driving Week.

During this week, RCMP stopped over 1,400 drivers and identified 57 who had recently consumed drugs or alcohol prior to driving.

Six of those drivers were charged with impaired driving and 51 were issued roadside suspensions.

29 of those suspensions tested positive for cannabis. One tested positive for cannabis and cocaine consumption.

Dec. 7 was National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day.

Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan officers were on patrol throughout the province that day.

It found 36 drivers had recently consumed drugs or alcohol before driving. Of these, 12 were charged and 24 received roadside suspension.

RCMP said if you suspect someone is driving impaired to pull over and immediately call 911.

Signs of possible impaired driving include: lane drifting, driving too fast or slow, inconsistent speed, not using signals, wide turns and driving without headlights or leaving high beams or turn signals on.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Red Ribbon Project

Another safe driving project is also happening this holiday season.

The Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Red Ribbon project is an annual awareness campaign to promote sober driving during the holiday season.

Bonny Stevenson, MADD Saskatoon President,  joined Evan Bray to explain why the project is important.

Listen to the full interview here:

“A red ribbon with MADD Canada symbolizes your commitment to always driving sober,” she said.

Stevenson said MADD Saskatoon has also done a lot of work with new drivers as well.

“We started speaking to drivers-ED classes,” said Stevenson. “We (were) at Saskatoon Police Department, and we spoke to the new recruits.”