Did you know that driver impairment is a contributing factor in more than 1 in 4 road deaths (28%) in Canada?
Since some of us have heard prevention messaging for more than 30 years, we might mistakenly believe the problem must be solved. And it’s true, tremendous progress has been achieved through a wide range of impaired driving initiatives across three decades. But still, 459 Canadians lost their lives in road crashes involving a drinking driver in 2021 (the latest year for which complete national data are available).
Police officers will be out on the roads along with Canadians celebrating with family and friends. Mandatory Alcohol Screening, permitted under the Criminal Code of Canada, means officers can demand a breath test with every traffic stop.
Choose to drive Sober Smart so everyone gets home safely at the end of the day.
For our impaired driving road safety campaign this holiday season, we’ve partnered with our Sober Smart Driving (SSD) project sponsor, Beer Canada and project partner, arrive alive DRIVE SOBER® as well as MADD Canada as this year’s campaign partner. We encourage you to download, post and share this new ad series hosted on SSD. They share knowledge and safety tips to ensure everyone is able to give the gift of safety.
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Visit Sober Smart Driving to find these holiday ads, more posters and new audio PSAs.
#MySafeRoadHome blog
To further support our impaired driving holiday road safety campaign, we’ve released two #MySafeRoadHome blogs.
Beyond the Buzz – Preventing impaired driving 101 is co-authored by our TIRF Youth Advisor Program (TIRF YAP) Lead, Kylee Bowman & TIRF President & CEO, Robyn Robertson.
TLDR (a.k.a. brief summary): Impaired driving isn’t just about alcohol. Certain medications, when mixed with alcohol can further slow your reaction time, cloud your judgment, and affect your coordination, making driving incredibly dangerous. Other factors like body composition, the food consumed prior to drinking and fatigue can also influence the effects of alcohol and other substances. Knowledge about how these factors affect you can help you make safer choices on the road.
By understanding how alcohol, medications, and other biological factors can affect your ability to drive, you can make safer choices. I’ve learned through experience that it’s important to listen to your body and be aware of the factors that might affect your judgment or reaction time. Taking a moment to be mindful and check in with yourself before you drive could be the difference between a safe ride home and a dangerous situation.
This season, keep on living so the gift keeps on giving – Decide to drive & ride alcohol-free both on and off road is authored by Steve Brown, TIRF Research Associate & Data Collection.
You may be asking yourself, why are we focused on vehicle safety beyond public roadways? It’s because there’s has been a steady and concerning rise in the number of people, particularly young people, who are needlessly losing their lives. While highway deaths have steadily declined for the past two decades, deaths involving off-road vehicle crashes have gone up. A big part of the increase in off-road deaths is due to crashes involving ATVs (yes, also driven in the winter) and dirt bikes. Fatality data make clear that off-road vehicle riders dying in crashes are mostly men. In 2021, nearly 9 out of 10 off-road vehicle riders killed in a collision were male. Even more concerning is the sharp increase in fatalities among the youngest riders (under 16) and the oldest riders (65 and older).
Read & share the full #MySafeRoadHome blog: https://tirf.ca/blog/drive-ride-alcohol-free-off-road
Road Safety Matters
Our #MySafeRoadHome blogs, currently ranked #2 in Top 20 Driving Safety Blogs & Websites to Follow in 2024, are funded by your donations.
As a registered charity, donations make it possible for TIRF to educate Canadians about impaired driving and the other risks on the road through our free resources. Your support is the difference between us getting by and getting better. Donate today! https://tirf.ca/donate
Partnership opportunity – 2025 Winter Tire Report
TIRF is offering an opportunity to co-brand with an internationally recognized road safety research institute & registered charity.
Our 2012 winter tire report is featured annually by top media outlets. Our total advertising value equivalency (AVE) in 2023 was over $43 million. Media asks annually for more current research. Your support would fund a 2025 winter tire publication and spin-off products including an infographic, blog, fact sheet and vodcast.
Donor support will be prominently acknowledged in the 2025 Spring & Fall winter tire materials giving organizations the opportunity to align their brand’s safety profile with a cause that resonates with millions of individuals across the country.
Learn more in our partnership information package.
