As part of their partnership to educate motorists about the dangers of drinking and driving, Halton Region, the Halton Regional Police Service and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.) Halton has introduced the Safe Roads…Your Call program.

Initially developed by the York Regional Police in 2006, Safe Roads…Your Call is a campaign that involves road safety partnerships, public awareness and police response to apprehend impaired drivers. It encourages motorists to help police by calling 9-1-1 immediately when they witness a suspected impaired driver on Halton roads.

“Halton’s reputation as Canada’s safest region is in large part due to the vested interest residents have in ensuring one another’s well-being,” said Regional Chair Gary Carr. “We are pleased to work with the Halton Regional Police Service and M.A.D.D. Halton to address this ongoing safety concern in a collaborative and proactive way.”

Safe Roads…Your Call reports received by 9-1-1 operators are assigned high priority and all available police resources will be used to locate the suspected vehicles. Motorists reporting a suspected impaired driver in progress should have a description of the vehicle, the nearest intersection where the suspect was witnessed and direction the vehicle was headed, and if possible, a license plate number.

“Impaired driving is a crime in progress – plain and simple,” said Police Chief Gary Crowell. “As the extra eyes of police on Halton roadways, residents play an instrumental role in enhancing road safety and assisting us in our efforts to apprehend impaired drivers.”

Motorists are advised that they should not jeopardize their own safety, or that of other motorists in order to provide police with any of these details – only report that which you can safely observe. Motorists are also reminded that they are able to call from their cellular phones in the event of an emergency. Reporting a suspect impaired driver would classify as reporting a crime in progress.

Earlier this month, Safe Roads…Your Call signs were installed in prominent locations throughout Burlington, Oakville, Milton, and Halton Hills. Additional smaller signs will be added to key arterial routes in the weeks to come.

Between January and April of this year, Halton Regional Police Service officers laid 140 impaired driving charges, a 61 per cent increase over the same period in 2008. Issuances of “warn” licence suspensions were also up 69 per cent year-over-year during this timeframe.

While close to 70 per cent of impaired driving calls to the Halton Regional Police Service in the first four months of 2009 were citizen generated, approximately 30 per cent of these were made to the non-emergency telephone line instead of 9-1-1.

Motorists are reminded that on July 2, 2008, the Criminal Code laws regarding impaired driving were strengthened. For instance, a first time offender will have his or her licence suspended for a year, and pay a fine of not less than $1,000.00.

For more information about the Safe Roads…Your Call program visit Halton Region’s website at www.halton.ca or the Halton Regional Police Service website at www.haltonpolice.ca.