Local MADD chapter is back

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/05/2012 (5151 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving has returned to the Wheat City.

The Brandon MADD chapter has been revived and its return comes just in time as the summer months tend to see an increase in impaired driving.

Carefree summer days can bring beers at a barbecue or at the beach, followed by a bad decision to drive home.

“People just kind of throw caution to the wind maybe more in the summer,” said Nikki Boggs, the Brandon MADD chapter’s community leader.

Boggs has lead the push to bring a MADD chapter back to Brandon. There was once a chapter here, but it hasn’t been active for a few years.

She was motivated to re-establish the group when she inquired into becoming a volunteer and learned, to her surprise, that there wasn’t an active chapter here any longer.

MADD’s regional manager for Manitoba asked Boggs if she was interested in setting up a chapter here herself, and her answer was yes. So far, she has recruited a team of nine volunteers.

Judging by the large number of drunk driving offences on court dockets here, MADD is needed. Across Canada, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15- to 25-year-olds, and alcohol is a factor in 45 per cent of those crashes.

Sixteen- to 25-year-olds made up 13.2 per cent of the Canadian population in 2006, but accounted for 33.4 per cent of the total alcohol-related crash deaths.

In 2009, it was estimated that 2,575 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in Canada, and MADD estimates that a minimum of 1,074 of these fatalities were related to impaired driving.

MADD plays a role in putting a stop to drinking and driving by helping drivers to make better choices through education, Boggs said.

“It’s such a good cause and I just really think that awareness is key,” Boggs said. “It’s something that is so preventable.”

MADD is already a partner with Kia Canada and the car company has offered space at its Shoppers Mall outlet to the local chapter so it can set up a display announcing its return.

The display should be up during the week of May 20-26.

The return of the Brandon chapter also means the return of the Project Red Ribbon public awareness and fundraising campaign, which runs annually from November through January. Boggs said that fundraiser should make its return this year.

Further into the future, there’s the possibility of holding a Strides for Change walk-a-thon, which raises money for MADD Canada’s programs and services.

As part of its duties, MADD provides support and guidance to survivors of impaired driving or to those who have lost a loved one to drunk driving.

The organization will continue to educate students about the dangers of drinking and driving during assemblies.

MADD also runs the Report Impaired Drivers 911 program, which Boggs hopes will be put to good use to prevent impaired driving this summer.

She said motorists shouldn’t hesitate to pull over and dial 911 using their cellphone if they suspect they’ve seen a drunk driver behind the wheel.

The Brandon MADD chapter still seeks volunteers and anyone interested can reach Boggs via email at brandonmaddchapter @gmail.com.

» ihitchen@brandonsun.com