Sask. family recognizes police efforts to combat impaired driving

WATCH: A number of police officers from across Saskatchewan were honoured for their work in getting impaired drivers off the road.

It has been almost ten years since the Van de Vorst family lost four loved ones due to an impaired driver.

“You really feel the loss. We’ve missed having them around for many special events over these last ten years ... we miss the funniness, we miss the loving, we miss the hugs,” Linda Van de Vorst said.

Jordan and Chanda Van de Vorst, along with their two young children, Kamryn and Miguire were all killed in January of 2016. This tragic event inspired the family to create an award to honour the Saskatchewan police officers who work to keep impaired drivers off the road.

Monday marked the seventh installment of the awards, with many gathering at the Saskatoon Inn and Conference Centre on Monday for the ceremony.

“It is such a hard job for them because they are going to be confronted with people that are not happy that they are caught driving impaired. But they don’t realize that by the officers stopping them, they are saving lives. I wish an officer could’ve stopped the person who hit our children and grandchildren and we didn’t have to do this,” Linda Van de Vorst said.

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Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada’s Van de Vorst awards have been presented to 191 police officers for their efforts in the past year.

The awards are handed out in accordance with the number of impaired drivers each officer has removed from the roads. The Platinum Award is awarded to officers who have removed 40 or more impaired drivers from Saskatchewan roads.

The highest number of impaired drivers charged by one officer was 373.

“There’s nine charges per hour in Canada for impaired driving sanctions, whether that’s provincial or criminal. So, it’s an epidemic in this country and we must do all that we can to stop impaired driving, it’s completely preventable,” Dawn Regan, MADD Canada’s chief operating officer said.

RCMP Supt. Grant St. Germaine shared that the number of impaired drivers on the road continues to be a challenge for law enforcement, in spite of increased awareness.

“With all the various programs that are in place to try and deter impaired driving, it still for some reason seems to be going on,” St. Germaine noted. “Please get the message folks, don’t drive impaired. There’s a way to get home sober and it makes a big difference. But that’s the frustrating part about it.”

For the Van de Vorst family, the award serves as an important reminder.

“We don’t want somebody else to suffer this loss,” Lou Van de Vorst said. “It’s preventable, you don’t have to drive after you’ve been drinking, there’s all kinds of ways to get home.”