MADD launches Red Ribbon campaign in Cape Breton

With the holiday season coming up fast, there will be more people traveling in the weeks ahead.

The Cape Breton chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving launched its annual Red Ribbon campaign this weekend.

Nita MacLean's brother and his girlfriend were killed by a drunk driver in 2004 and the impact changed her family’s lives forever.

“It drastically affected our family. We were never really the same again. My mother never recovered from that,” said MacLean.

MacLean's mother passed away about two years ago. She spent much of her time after the crash grieving for her son.

“It's something that impacted her greatly until the day she died. She never really laughed again, I don't remember her being the same ever. It really did change our family dynamic greatly,” said MacLean.

MacLean now volunteers as a member of MADD Cape Breton and on Sunday she was on hand to help launch the group's Red Ribbon Campaign at the Mayflower Mall in Sydney.

Checkpoints will be set up throughout the municipality as the holiday’s approach in an effort to crack down on drinking and driving.

“It's important to launch it now with the holidays coming. There will be family gatherings, parties, those types of things, so it's important to make a plan for those events and make sure you get home safely,” said Rob Matheson, MADD Cape Breton president.

The red ribbon is a commitment for drivers to be safe and sober when behind the wheel.

But despite years of messaging, MADD Canada says drugs and alcohol account for around 55 per cent of all road crash deaths.

An updated National Memorial Wall puts a face to those stats.

“It’s been updated for this year, so it shows that the message still needs to get out there and people need to be safe and responsible when operating a motor vehicle,” said Matheson.

MacLean says making the wrong decision to get behind the wheel has far reaching impacts.

“It's not just the faces on the poster that are of concern, they have family and friends who are also impacted,” said MacLean.

Police say it has zero tolerance when it comes to alcohol and drugs, as even having one drink behind the wheel could have disastrous consequences.

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