Annual campaign to prevent impaired driving returns

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Cape Breton and police joined forces on Saturday in an effort to keep roads safe over the holidays.

“I lost my brother and his girlfriend. She was killed instantly. He made it to the hospital, but then he passed away. He had just graduated from para-medicine at St. Anne's University,” said Nita Maclean.

The crash happened in 2004 near St. Pete’s, N.S.

Maclean now volunteers as a member of MADD Cape Breton, and today was on hand help launch their red ribbon campaign.

She says the crash that killed her brother changed her family’s lives.

“Our family was never the same again. It really impacted my mother a lot. She never was the same woman again and she was ill for pretty much the rest of her life and she passed away two years ago,” said Maclean.

Checkpoints will soon be popping up on roadways throughout the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. It's an effort to crackdown on impaired drivers as people get together for the holidays.

“It's important to make proper decisions every year, but again, this time of year, there's more gatherings with family and friends and lots of celebrating, and we want everyone to do it responsibly,” said MADD Cape Breton President Rob Matheson.

According to MADD Canada, drugs and alcohol account for around 55 per cent of all road crash deaths.

Police say it's zero tolerance when it comes to alcohol and drugs. Even having one drink behind the wheel could make difference.

“Make sure you're not going to get behind the wheel and impact someone's life or your own,” said MacLean.