BC Criminal Defence Lawyer Blog

Nanaimo signs encourage calling 911 to report drunk drivers

The City of Nanaimo, British Columbia is unveiling a project in which it will post signs encouraging motorists to pull over safely and call 911 to report suspected drunk driving.

This initiative is a collaboration of the Nanaimo RCMP, Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles, MADD Canada, the City of Nanaimo and BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation.

Call centres will be set up to serve these calls.  The article "Call 911 to report impaired driving: BCAA" in Canadian Driver dated June 23, 2009 sets out the harrowing cost and damage of drunk driving in BC alone.

I note that the road signs to be installed will suggest to "pull over" and dial 911.  There's plenty of dialogue these days about banning cell phone use while driving - 25 percent of car accidents are caused by driver distraction according to a recent BC government report.  While drunk driving is dangerous to all motorists, so is cell phone use while driving according to some reports (Washington State has a ban on cell phone use while driving).  I wonder if cell-phone while driving is banned in BC, whether signs will be installed encouraging calling 911 to report cell phone use while driving.  I suppose with today's electronic signs, they could toggle back and forth between messages.

I wonder whether 911 already fields such calls and if so, do police follow up on them?  I'll be interested to see how many calls the specially set up 911 call centres will receive reporting drunk drivers and whether sufficient policing resources will be available to go out and follow up on all the tips.

Safe roads are a significant concern to BC citizens.  One way to help police, I suppose, is engage the public to get involved.