Released on March 22, 2011
Moose Jaw residents can help improve road safety in their city with the expansion of the Report Impaired Drivers (RID) program.
RID encourages the public to call 911 if they see a driver they suspect is impaired.
"Drinking and driving is the number one cause of fatal crashes in Saskatchewan," Minister responsible for both SGI and the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) Tim McMillan said. "RID empowers the people of Moose Jaw to help law enforcement find impaired drivers, so they can be removed from our roads. It also serves as a warning that there is now a whole city on the lookout for anyone driving under the influence."
RID is a partnership led by SGI, SLGA and the Moose Jaw Police Service, with support from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and Students Against Drinking and Driving.
RID was piloted in Saskatoon in March last year and expanded to Regina in September. Since then, police say RID calls have led to 137 impaired driving charges in Saskatoon and 20 impaired driving charges in Regina, as of the end of February this year.
"The Moose Jaw Police Service is happy to enlist the public's help in making our community safer," Moose Jaw Police Chief Dale Larsen said. "The RID program will allow us to work together to remove impaired drivers from our city's streets."
It is recommended that drivers pull over safely to the side of the road before dialing, or have a passenger make the 911 call.
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For more information, contact:
Kelley Brinkworth
Saskatchewan Government Insurance
Regina
Phone: 306-751-1837
Email: kbrinkworth@sgi.sk.ca
Cell: 306-535-6207
David Morris
Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1721
Email: dmorris@slga.gov.sk.ca
Corporal Dave Purdy
Moose Jaw Police Service
Moose Jaw
Phone: 306-694-7659
Email: dpurdy@mjpolice.ca