An Edmonton man whose mother, father, aunt and uncle were all killed by an impaired driver is reminding Canadians heading out on New Year’s Eve not to drink or use drugs and drive.
Jason Hills was only a toddler in 1985 when his four family members were struck and killed while riding motorcycles during a vacation in Montana. The impaired driver was going more than 150 kilometres per hour.
Hills, who is the president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Edmonton, says his only memory of his family is from when he learned they were already gone.
“I’ve been affected by it virtually my whole life,” he said.
He’s not alone in his suffering. In 2012, there were 2,546 deaths from motor vehicle collisions. Of those, 1,497 involved drivers who had alcohol or drugs in their systems, according to MADD.
Hills says everyone going out on New Year’s Eve must make sure that they have a safe way to get home, like a taxi or public transit, which is free in some cities on Saturday night.
“People think that they have this invincibility,” Hills adds. “They never think it’s going to happen to them until it does.”
Hills says impaired driving is “completely preventable -- you just have to make the right choice.”
With a report from CTV Edmonton’s Taylor Oseen
