Parked on the lawn just east of the Delta Public Safety Building in North Delta is a red car with a boldened message written across the side of it – “Don’t drive impaired.”
The sobering sight is visible while driving along 84th Ave., where the noticeably battered front end, the smashed windshield, and a dangling side mirror illustrate the very-real consequences of driving under the influence.
As a collaboration between MADD Metro Vancouver, the Delta Police, ICBC, Roadway Towing and the City of Delta, the display’s goal is to remind everyone just how important it is to stay sober behind the wheel.
“With 40 per cent of all impaired driving related deaths in B.C. happening in the summer months, we’re urging everyone to plan ahead when it comes to consuming alcohol. Think about how you’re getting home and have a plan in place to get home safely,” said Leanne Cassap, ICBC’s road safety and community coordinator, at the unveiling on Thursday morning.
Every year in B.C., an average of 67 people are killed in impaired driving related accidents, she said.
Within Delta, from January to date, DPD have removed 282 impaired drivers from the road, reported Insp. Kim Campbell, who leads the traffic unit at the DPD.
Campbell voiced her concern for what could have happened if those impaired drivers hadn’t been caught or found by officers.
“They’re all lucky because they get to go home to their family and loved ones. They haven’t destroyed another family’s life, and they don’t have to live with the repercussions of killing an innocent person,” said Campbell. “Police in Delta and across this province remain dedicated to keeping impaired drivers off our roadways.”
MADD Canada’s regional manager, Charlie Grahn, emphasized how it’s not just young people who need to heed this message.
“On the part of older folks – people in their 40s and 50s who maybe have a long experience with drugs or alcohol – they feel they somehow have supernatural abilities that allow them to command a 3,000 pound vehicle at 80 km/h, and to do so safely under the effects of drugs or alcohol,” he said.
But unsurprisingly, they don’t.
In Delta, if you suspect somebody may be driving under the influence, you can call their non-emergency line at 604-946-4411, or call 9-1-1.
