OAKVILLE, Ontario, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Municipalities must play a greater role in preventing impaired driving and supporting victims and survivors. That’s the central message of a new report released ahead of the Victoria Long weekend by MADD Canada, titled The Top Ten Report: Municipal Measures to Minimize Impaired Driving and Support Victims and Survivors.
Although Canada has made significant progress, impaired driving remains a serious public safety issue. Approximately 78,480 impaired driving sanctions were issued under federal and provincial law across Canada in 2021 — the equivalent of 215 sanctions per day.
“While municipalities are established by provincial and territorial governments, they hold important powers — including control over police budgets, municipal venues, and other matters — that can be used to fight impaired driving at the community level,” said Steve Sullivan, CEO of MADD Canada. “Municipalities have tools that can save lives. Our goal is to help them use those tools more effectively.”
The report is the third and final branch of MADD Canada’s The Top 10 Reports series. These reports aim to guide all levels of government toward evidence-based reforms that will reduce impaired driving and support victims and survivors.
Some of the recommended municipal measures include:
- Ensure police have adequate funding to proactively enforce road safety, including the use of Mandatory Alcohol Screening at every lawful traffic stop and running regular sobriety checkpoints.
- Advocate for an immediate roadside prohibition program.
- Ensure that there are multiple ways to get home safely.
- Ensure that there is a municipal alcohol policy that is reviewed regularly and consider adopting a municipal cannabis policy.
- Work with stakeholders to develop and implement anti-impaired driving awareness campaigns.
For a full list of recommendations, read the report.
“The report highlights priority issues to start productive conversations with local governments and give them a clear roadmap to follow,” said Eric Dumschat, Legal Director of MADD Canada. “It will be updated periodically to reflect the progress that municipal governments have made.”
The report’s launch comes just ahead of the Victoria Day long weekend, which marks the unofficial start of summer, when many Canadians take road trips and spend time on trails and waterways. It’s also a time when the risk of impaired driving increases. That’s why MADD Canada, through its Campaign 911 awareness program, reminds the public that impaired driving is an emergency and urges people to call 911 if they see a driver they suspect is impaired.
To help ensure everyone gets home safely, we all have a role to play:
- Always plan ahead;
- Never drive a car, a boat, an ATV or any other vehicle while impaired;
- Never get into a car, a boat, an ATV or any other vehicle being operated by someone who is impaired;
- Call 911 if you see a driver you suspect is impaired.
About MADD Canada
MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is a national, charitable organization that is committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime. With volunteer-driven groups in close to 100 communities across Canada, MADD Canada aims to offer support services to victims, heighten awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and save lives and prevent injuries on our roads. For more information, visit www.madd.ca.
For more information, contact:
Eric Dumschat, MADD Canada Legal Director, 1-800-665-6233 ext. 229 or EDumschat@madd.ca
Arielle Nkongmeneck, MADD Canada Communications Manager, 1-800-665-6233 ext. 240 or ankongmeneck@madd.ca
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