It’s late at night and the weather is usually cold and wet. They stand out in the elements, flashlight in hand, waving each car through their checkpoints. I am always more than happy to slow my vehicle to a stop, roll down my window and chat for a moment or two with these officers who are doing their part to make our streets safe.
I’ve only ever been hit once by a drunk driver, but that was enough. I don’t ever want to experience that again…
It happened back in the 1980s. I was driving home from work in Montreal. I had pulled up to a stoplight that was red, and I was thankful the cross-street traffic was light. A few cars pulled up behind me. I was not looking in my rear-view mirror when it happened. I was looking straight ahead waiting for my light to turn green. A moment later, my world changed. I will never forget the sound of the impact and the fierce jolt. I remember being thrown against the steering wheel. The force of the impact was so great that I ended up out in the middle of oncoming traffic. I looked out the driver’s side window and saw headlights, but the vehicle was able to stop in time. I opened my door to get out and saw the drivers behind me getting out of their cars. We were all fortunate there were no major injuries considering the tremendous force of the impact.
At the time I had no idea the driver was under the influence. I found this out later when the police cars arrived on scene. When the police officer asked the driver to step out of his vehicle, he stumbled and fell onto the pavement. There was a passenger in his car. The passenger was sober. I wondered how that person could have been a passenger in a car driven by someone who was obviously in no condition to drive.
At the time we could have used a R.I.D.E program like the one that is currently in force in Toronto. With this kind of prevention program, the driver might have been caught before the accident happened.
In recent years we have all been made aware of the carnage that can be the result of those who don’t get the message about drinking and driving. TV and radio ads try to get the message out, especially at this time of the year. I wanted to take a few lines in my blog to tell you about my own experience. Today, when I pull up to a spot-check, I am more than happy to co-operate with the officers who do their duty standing out in the cold night.
If you have to be on the road tonight make sure you designate a driver. Call a cab for those at a party you feel need a ride home. Welcome overnight guests. Don’t hesitate to take away a set of car keys from a driver who should NOT be on the road. If you’re hosting a party, ensure there are non-alcoholic drinks available.
To all the police officers who will be on duty tonight, I’d like to wish you a very peaceful start to 2008. We all appreciate your service this night. To all firefighters, ambulance paramedics and hospital staff on duty, I hope it’s a quiet night for you, too.
Here’s to a safe start to the New Year!!
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Don Jackson
