‘Make good choices’: Operation Christmas campaign aims to reduce impaired driving

Operation Christmas kicks off with a reminder to never drive under the influence.

Halifax Regional Police kicked off this year’s Operation Christmas campaign.

It’s an annual provincewide campaign that aims to reduce impaired driving kicked off in Halifax Wednesday.

“Days like today give people a chance to sit back and remember because this is a decision in the moment that can easily be prevented,” says Don MacLean, chief of Halifax Regional Police.

Over 45 officers from across the province as well as public safety partners gathered at Citadel Hill to launch this year’s campaign.

“I think it amplifies the tragedy when things are going on over the holidays. Impaired driving is 12 months a year problem. But this is the time of year particularly with Christmas parties and that sort of thing where we really try to imprint upon people the importance of making good sound decisions,” says MacLean.

Anissa MacLeod, the president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Halifax Regional Chapter was in attendance and says awareness is a huge piece in putting an end to impaired driving.

“At Dartmouth Memorial Gardens near Atlantic Funeral Homes, we actually have a monument for Nova Scotia victims of impaired driving there are 132 names engraved on that monument. Those are all people that have died as a result of an impaired related crash. That is a very important testimonial to us and it stayed with us every day,” says MacLeod.

Following the kickoff presentation, officers set up across HRM to conduct roadside checkpoints.

“Our officers will be spread throughout HRM along with the other officers of Nova Scotia and remind people of the importance of driving sober as well as handing out information,” says MacLean.

They will also be handing out bus tickets, as Halifax transit donated them to police to give people other options.

“Halifax Transit graciously donated hundreds of bus tickets to give them an alternative in the circumstances that they may use so that can make the decision not to drive impaired,” says MacLean.

“Just don’t make that decision to drive impaired and so planning ahead is really important. We want to recognize that it’s an important time of year to celebrate but we need to make good choices. So MADD is here to raise that awareness but also to thank the policing partners for doing such an incredible job in keeping our roadway safe,” says MacLeod.

This is just the start of the campaign; officers will continue to have roadside checkpoints throughout the month of December.

“Every single day we hear these crashes continue and we know that impaired driving is still the number one criminal cause of death in Canada so our hearts go out to those families that have been impacted and we are asking you all to make good choices,” says MacLeod.

Teams here Wednesday listed a number of alternatives, as getting behind the wheel while impaired is a life changing decision, one Linda Harker knows too well.

“Back in 1987, I had an 18-year-old daughter that just graduated high school and she went out one night with her boyfriend walking up the side of the road, Beaver Bank Road. It was 11:00 at night and a guy crossed the line and hit them from behind. He dragged my daughter about 90 feet and she ended up in the hospital for 72 hours, never regained consciousness and we had to make the decision to let her go,” says Harker.

Her message to people is not to think you are immune to impaired driving incidents, she reminds people that it can happen to anybody at any time.

All involved with this campaign have the same end goal, to put a stop to impaired driving, of any substance.

“I want it to stop; I want impaired driving whipped out completely. I would like to see zero tolerance of impaired driving in this province,” says Harker.

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