During National Impaired Driving Prevention Week (March 20-26), the Provincial Government is encouraging all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to take a moment to think about the senseless and preventable injuries and deaths caused by impaired driving.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), impaired driving is the number one criminal cause of death in Canada. An average of 10 federal criminal charges and provincial short-term licence suspensions are laid every hour for impaired driving. An average of 238 impaired driving charges and short-term suspensions are laid daily, and almost 87,000 annually. Last year, in Newfoundland and Labrador, there was a total of 377 impaired driving convictions.

It is the collective responsibility of all drivers to prevent serious injuries and deaths on our roads. Motorists have a responsibility to their fellow citizens to ensure they are operating vehicles in a safe manner. It is also important to keep the conversation going about ways to improve safety on provincial roadways.

Besides impairment due to alcohol or drugs; fatigue, distraction, even over-the-counter and prescription medications can all impact a motorist’s judgement, coordination, and reaction time behind the wheel.

The Provincial Government remains committed to enhancing road safety. Continuous improvement and updates to the Highway Traffic Act help reduce the number of traffic deaths and injuries to make roads safer.

Quote
“Although the dangers and consequences of impaired driving are widely known, we continue to see stories in the news of impaired driving arrests. Anyone who chooses to drive impaired has no place on our province’s roads.”
Honourable Sarah Stoodley
Minister of Digital Government and Service NL

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Media contact
Krista Dalton
Digital Government and Service NL
729-4748, 685-6492
kristadalton@gov.nl.ca