AMA reminds motorists to have “None for the Road” this holiday season.
This year, as Albertans prepare to celebrate with colleagues, family and friends, AMA is reminding people that it is equally important to plan how to get home as it is to plan your celebration. If you plan to drink, plan ahead so that you have a way of getting home safely. There are many options and no excuses for driving drunk, the only smart choice is the right choice – None for the Road.
“We’re not telling people not to drink,” says Don Szarko, Director of Advocacy and Community Services with AMA. “We’re asking that they plan their ride home as carefully as they plan their evening out. We all have a responsibility to protect ourselves and others, so don’t let someone you care about drive after they’ve been drinking. And remember, buzzed driving is drunk driving.” According to Statistics Canada, progress to decrease impaired driving has stalled. Again this year, approximately 22 per cent of drivers in fatal crashes had consumed alcohol before they got behind the wheel. Make it “None for the Road” this holiday season.
With the launch of this campaign’s second year, AMA is excited to be partnering with various law enforcement agencies, as well as the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), to remind Albertans to plan ahead before they have that first drink and their judgment becomes impaired. AMA and partners across the province will be helping educate drivers about making responsible drinking choices through community leaflets, posters and radio mentions during hockey broadcasts.
“The safety of Alberta’s roads are vital to the AJHL, its’ member teams and fans as they travel across the province this holiday season,” says Ryan Bartoshyk, VP of Marketing with the Alberta Junior Hockey League. “We look to provide the AMA with an additional platform to promote and provide awareness for the “None for the Road” campaign through the Alberta Junior Hockey League.”
“Road Safety Wood Buffalo is committed to reducing the number of impaired drivers on our roads through education and enforcement,” says Elaine read with Safe Community Wood Buffalo. “Impaired driving is a serious injury issue in our region where 28 per cent of fatal collisions were caused by drivers who had consumed alcohol prior to the crash and almost half of the drinking drivers were males under 25. If you plan on drinking, please plan NOT to drive and if you suspect another driver may be impaired, call 9-1-1.”
For more information on the AMA None for the Road campaign, visit ama.ab.ca/NoneForTheRoad.
There will also be various promotions at AJHL games throughout the holiday season. To help Albertans plan ahead and get home safely, AMA has launched a ‘Text for Taxi’ program that provides people who text “TAXI” to 333777 or visit http://m.ama.ab.ca with a list of local taxi companies. To promote a culture of traffic safety, AMA and community partners will also be rewarding people who choose “None for the Road” by distributing free hockey tickets at Checkstops throughout the holiday season.