You may start seeing some new road signs as you travel Windsor-Essex's highways.
Those signs are part of a campaign to encourage drivers to use the 911 system to report drivers that they believe are operating while impaired. It was launched Thursday morning during a media event at Caesars Windsor.
MADD Windsor and Essex County has teamed up with Caesars Cares, the community service arm of Caesars Windsor, as well as Ontario Provincial Police, Windsor police, and LaSalle police. Representatives from the county of Essex, as well as Leamington Deputy Mayor Larry Verbeke and Amherstburg councillor Donald McArthur, also attended.
An effort to encourage people to report suspected impaired driving has been in place for years, but law enforcement officials say people remain hesitant to use 911 for that purpose. Andrew Murie, CEO of MADD Canada, said these signs show that yes, it is okay.
"We needed to get out there, and we just can't do it by ourselves," said Murie. "Police officers stood up today and said 'we want you to call 911'. That's really important."
That feeling is echoed by Detective Inspector Glenn Miller of the OPP, who said the public plays a big role in keeping area roadways safe.
"Certainly from the data that we have, a number of the impaired drivers that we arrest in Essex County by the OPP, a significant number is directly attributable to the response and observations made by members of the community," said Miller.
For complete details on the Campaign 911 program, click here.
An example of the highway signs currently going up on Windsor-Essex highways, encouraging drivers to call 911 if they suspect a driver is impaired, Caesars Windsor, June 13, 2019. Photo by Mark Brown/Blackburn News.