Plan ahead for a ride home, if drinking or consuming drugs

As we get further into December, holiday parties and gatherings are ramping up.

MADD Canada and Allstate Insurance Company of Canada are asking all Canadians to keep the festivities safe by always having sober transportation home if alcohol and/or cannabis are being consumed.

“Tragedies caused by impaired driving are 100 percent preventable. This year, impaired driving took on a new meaning with the legalization of recreational cannabis,” Allstate Canada President and CEO Ryan Michel said.

“Regardless, if your holiday party plans include alcohol, cannabis, or any other substance that can impair your ability to drive; remember to leave the driving to someone sober.”

Thousands of Canadians are killed and injured in impaired driving crashes every year. During this holiday season, MADD Canada and Allstate Canada are asking Canadians to prevent impaired driving:

Don’t drive impaired – book an Uber, call a cab, take public transit, arrange a designated driver or plan to stay overnight;

Don’t ride with drivers who are impaired;

If you see a driver you suspect is impaired, call 911 and report it to police.

While a great deal of progress has been made in the fight against impaired driving over the years, the job is not finished yet. Alcohol and drug-related crashes continue to be a deadly problem on Canadian roads and continued awareness efforts are crucial, especially now that cannabis is legal.

“It only takes a few minutes to plan out a safe and sober ride option, and it can prevent an impaired driving charge, or, worse, a tragic crash that kills or injures someone,” MADD Canada National President Patricia Hynes-coates said.

Those looking for a safe, sober and reliable ride home at the push of a button can check out Uber, MADD Canada’s Official Designated Driving App.

Visit https://www.uber.com/ partner/en-ca/madd-canada/ for more information.

Tragedies caused by impaired driving are 100 percent preventable. This year, impaired driving took on a new meaning with the legalization of recreational cannabis. Ryan Michel

Allstate Canada President and CEO