Municipalities must play a greater role in preventing impaired driving and supporting victims and survivors. While they are the creations of the provinces and territories and have certain limitations, municipalities hold important powers, including control over police budgets, municipal venues, and other matters. These powers can be used to fight impaired driving at the community level.
MADD Canada’s latest recommendations are detailed in The Top Ten Report: Municipal Measures to Minimize Impaired Driving and Support Victims and Survivors. The report is the first installment in MADD Canada’s Municipal Reform Agenda. The measures, briefly summarized here, reflect MADD Canada’s comprehensive approach and recognize that a combination of countermeasures is essential to deter impaired driving, reduce repeat offences and enhance support for victims and survivors.
The report highlights priority issues to start productive conversations with local governments and give them a clear roadmap to follow. It will be updated periodically to reflect the progress that municipal governments have made.