Nanaimo, B.C. – Impaired driving is the number-one cause of criminal death in Canada, and the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) Traffic Safety Foundation has teamed up with partners to encourage the public to call 911 to report suspected impaired drivers to police.

The Nanaimo RCMP, Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles, MADD Canada, and the City of Nanaimo are working together with the BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation on a pilot project being launched in Nanaimo.

The city has installed new street and highway signs that tell drivers to pull over and call 911 to report a vehicle  being driven dangerously. Impaired driving is a criminal act, and suspected impaired drivers can be reported to the police; 911 call centres will take and process calls reporting suspected impaired drivers.

In a recent survey, 80 per cent of British Columbians said they are more concerned about impaired driving than about any other problem facing society, but the survey also reported that one in five admitted to driving after drinking.  In B.C., impaired drivers kill two people and injure over 60 every week on average. Transport Canada statistics show that impaired drivers cost the B.C. economy approximately $1.6 billion per year, not counting the cost of police, ambulances or courts.

If you see a car being driven dangerously, pull over safely, call 911, and be prepared to provide the license plate number, description of the vehicle, and its location and direction of travel.