On the morning of August 20th 2000, at 5:50am 17-year-old Mike Douglas was walking home with a friend, but he never made it, he was hit by a drunk driver. The driver had been talked into driving home down the dirt road in Redbridge by a friend.
On the morning of August 20th 2000, at 5:50am 17-year-old Mike Douglas was walking home with a friend, but he never made it, he was hit by a drunk driver.
The driver had been talked into driving home down the dirt road in Redbridge by a friend.
Wednesday the North Bay Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada), launched the 2006 Project Red Ribbon public awareness campaign outside City Hall today.
Douglas told the audience his has been a long hard road to recovery, but finds sharing his story and message the best therapy.
“I saw the car coming, I was with a friend of mine … we both saw the vehicle coming … I guess I had the mentality of a high school kid ‘I’m invincible it’s not going to happen to me,” he explains
“So I didn’t bother moving. I looked over saw the buddy of mine had jumped into the ditch, I looked back the car was right in front of me, and at that point there was nothing I could really do.”
“I don’t remember the impact, but I woke up in the hospital a month later and heard what happened after being in a comma for a month.”
With help from OPP, City Police, Mayor Victor Fedeli, John Strang of U-Need-A-Cab and MP Anthony Rota MADD cut the one giant ribbon into pieces and placed them on the emergency vehicles to remind people of the importance for sober driving through the holiday season.
Douglas is still recovering from his injuries and wants people to see the lasting effects a drunk driver leaves on someone and hopes they walk away aware.
“I find there’s going to be people out there that drink and drive, I really don’t think we’ll be able to reach everybody, but for those who are still reachable to really realise that their not just affecting their lives,” he says.
“I think to some extent they would realise that afterwards, they’ve got to realise more about the long term repercussions and that’s the point I try to get across. It doesn’t end after they hit somebody it may end for them after they do time in jail, if that happens, even if it is over for them they’ve got to deal with what they did to somebody.”
Two years following the accident the driver was charged and the case went through court, the driver got a one year suspension on his licence and a 6 month sentence in jail.
“He was trying to argue for house arrest and ended up serving four months in jail,” he notes.
In the end Douglas would like to speak with the driver so both can have closure to the fateful morning.
Complete details on the national MADD project are contained in the news release below.
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Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada), today, launches its 19th annual, national public awareness campaign for sober driving through the holiday season.
MADD Canada’s National President Karen Dunham officially kicked-off the organization’s 2006 Project Red Ribbon with a challenge to the thousands of MADD Canada volunteers across the country: ‘Make this year our best campaign ever and let’s make a difference by reducing impaired driving tragedies in our communities this holiday season.’
The MADD Canada ribbon has become a familiar symbol of safe and sober driving throughout Canada - and this annual campaign is one of the most visible public awareness drives against impaired driving during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday season.
MADD Canada urges Canadians to display their red ribbon by attaching it to a vehicle's antenna or rearview mirror or tying it to a keychain, briefcase, purse, backpack or other personal item. There are more than four million red ribbons distributed across the country by MADD Canada volunteers with the hope of effectively delivering their sober driving message during the busiest social time on our calendar.
Mrs. Dunham explains that by displaying the MADD Canada red ribbon a person is making a significant statement. “The red ribbon is a tribute to honour those who have been killed or injured in impaired driving crashes. It serves as a constant message to people on the roads to drive safe and sober. Most importantly, by displaying the MADD Canada red ribbon, you make a personal commitment to drive sober.”
As many as 22 local Chapters of Mothers Against Drunk Driving across Canada are launching community-based campaigns today and through the first weekend of November. Mrs. Dunham says, “From today through the 2007 New Year's celebrations, the Project Red Ribbon campaign will be in full flight from coast-to-coast. MADD Canada supporters will be in malls, with police at their roadside spot checks, in parades and at public events, raising the awareness on the dangers of impaired driving.”
“Our volunteers and corporate sponsors will distribute literally millions of red ribbons over the next few months. The ribbon sends a clear message for motorists not to drive impaired by alcohol or other drugs when on the roads during this holiday season and throughout the calendar year,” adds Mrs. Dunham.
Mrs. Dunham also encourages Canadians to click on www.madd.ca throughout the Project Red Ribbon campaign period of November to January. Each week of the campaign there will be new features unveiled on the MADD Canada website including an e-postcard campaign, in-depth interviews, a ‘Holiday Wish’ and a special campaign podcast later in December.
The Red Ribbon and Leadership in the Fight Against Impaired Driving
MADD Canada's Project Red Ribbon campaign is supported by community partners such as local law enforcement and emergency medical service organizations, national, provincial, regional and local corporations, and Canadian celebrities from sports, entertainment and broadcast industries. The awareness campaign is spearheaded by MADD Canada's 7,500-plus committed volunteers more than 85 local Chapters and Community Leaders across the country.
Sponsorship for the campaign has grown in the past few years. Allstate Insurance Company of Canada continues to show its leadership as the national campaign's Title Sponsor. Suzuki Canada Auto Dealers Foundation is again the campaign’s Official Sponsor. Corporate / Provincial sponsors include #TAXI, Alberta Motor Association, BMO Bank of Montreal, Coyle Corrugated Containers Inc., Enterprise Rent-A-Car Alberta, Impact Auto Auctions, and UPS Canada. For a full list of Project Red Ribbon corporate sponsors and red ribbon distributors, visit the MADD Canada website.
Impaired driving remains Canada’s number one criminal cause of death. On average, each and every day, 4 Canadians are killed and more than 190 Canadians are injured in alcohol and drug-related crashes. More than 70,000 Canadian men, women and children are killed or serious injured in impaired driving crashes annually. MADD Canada’s volunteers and supporters are intent on altering these unacceptable statistics.
