Saskatchewan’s Report Impaired Drivers program expands province-wide
Report Impaired Drivers (RID) launched in 2010 as a pilot project that encouraged Saskatchewan drivers to call 9-1-1 if they saw a driver they suspected to be impaired. First launched in Saskatoon in March 2010, the program expanded to Regina that September, to Moose Jaw and Prince Albert in March 2011 and finally to Weyburn and Estevan this past September. Now, the program is in effect across all of Saskatchewan.
Police say RID calls have led to 300 impaired driving charges. Police have also sent warning letters to more than 2,100 vehicle owners, advising them their vehicle was reported as being operated by a suspected impaired driver. The results are promising, says Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) and the public awareness is growing. A recent survey conducted by Insightrix Research Inc. found that two thirds of respondents were aware of the RID program.
“Sixty people are killed and another 800 are injured in our province each year due to impaired driving collisions,” said the Hon. Tim McMillan, Minister Responsible for SGI and the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA). “With the support of the RCMP and a whole province behind it, the RID program helps remove impaired drivers from our roads, preventing these senseless collisions from happening in the first place.”
RID is a partnership led by SGI, SLGA and the RCMP, with support from Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Students Against Drinking and Driving.
It is recommended that drivers pull over safely to the side of the road before dialing, or have a passenger make the 911 call.
