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Okanagan car crash campaign shows consequence of impaired driving

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Okanagan want people to be more aware of their actions

The Okanagan chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) wants people to be more careful and aware when they drive this holiday season.

MADD Okanagan has a car crash installation in front of the Kelowna Visitor Centre showing the aftermath of a crash when an impaired individual gets behind the wheel.

“Impaired driving is a crime and we don’t tolerate it when people drink and drive, especially during the holidays,” MADD Okanagan president Laura Garcia said.

“It’s funny, but it’s just very common (to drive impaired) during the holiday season… despite COVID-19 and the pandemic we have, people still gather and still drink.”

The chapter’s victim service director Eva Gainer said up to four people are killed by impaired drivers every day across Canada, with approximately 270 people are left injured due to incidents with impaired drivers.

“I’m involved with MADD as a victim myself. In Ontario… my husband Don and our youngest son Bryan were killed by a drunk driver. I was critically injured in that crash along with another friend,” she said.

The impaired driver, Gainer said, was instantly killed in that crash.

Garcia and Gainer both said impaired driving doesn’t just involve those who drink before they get in their vehicle, but also those who may be under the influence of drugs or those who may be driving exhausted.

With the installation, they’re asking that people consider not just their own safety, but others’ as well.

“When they see this vehicle, we hope it pushes them to be conscious and aware of what the situation could be,” Garcia said.

“Please don’t drive impaired.”

READ: Horgan warns B.C. holiday partiers, protesters to sit tight, mask up


Twila Amato
Video journalist, Black Press Okanagan
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Twila Amato

About the Author: Twila Amato

Twila was a radio reporter based in northern Vancouver Island. She won the Jack Webster Student Journalism Award while at BCIT and received a degree in ancient and modern Greek history from McGill University.
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