MADD is relaunching its sign project to raise awareness of impaired driving. Left to right: Ron Bird (SG), MADD reps. Darren Deck and Karen Anthony-Burns, Chief Jonathan Bergen and Mike Letkeman (SGI). (Susan McNeil/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Impaired driving campaign

‘It gets me every time’, mom talks of pain of losing son

Apr 1, 2022 | 3:12 PM

It has been 12 years since Karen Anthony-Burns’ 21-year-old son died after being hit by a drunk driver, but she still can’t talk about him without crying.

Anthony-Burns is the head of the Prince Albert chapter of MADD Canada and was at city hall this morning to help restart the ‘Impaired Driver Caught Here’ and ‘Call 911’ sign campaign.

As the mother of a child killed by a drunk driver, Anthony-Burns lives daily with the loss of her youngest child.

“It is 12 years this September since my youngest son, Daniel Carter, was the victim in an alcohol-related crash,” she said through tears.

Daniel was hit while crossing the street and died of his injuries two days later.

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Right, Karen Anthony-Burns holds a placard telling the story of how her son was killed by a drunk driver. Left is Darren Deck, head of the local MADD Canada chapter. (Susan McNeil/paNOW Staff)

Anthony-Burns said the problem of drinking and driving persists in the city. Since it was started in September of 2020, the campaign has put up 132 signs showing where someone was caught and criminally charged.

The signs are placed where someone was caught and are moved to different locations every two weeks.

Many of arrests come from the public who calls 911 and informs police.

Chief Jonathan Bergen said that collisions have immediate life-altering consequences.

“Those accidents can change lives and they can change lives in a second. We’ve seen the impact of those accidents and we feel the victimization that is created,” he said.

PAPS has charged 19 people in this year alone with impaired driving and has 147 calls made from the Report Impaired Driver (RID) program.

He said that in 2021, the city saw 49 injury accidents alone and that many more are contained to just physical damage of the vehicles.

“We have accidents by the hundreds each and every year,” Bergen said.

Saskatchewan continues to have disproportionately high levels of impaired driving.

Across Canada in 2021, about 87,000 charges were laid for impaired driving or license suspensions issued. That is about 232 charges per 100,000 people.

In Saskatchewan, the ratio is 341 charges per 100,000 people.

A primary message of MADD Canada is the concept that every person can prevent impaired driving and that everyone should plan for a sober ride home.

“Even one death or injury is too many,” Anthony-Burns said. “Getting behind the wheel after drinking or consuming drugs is never the right choice. Please plan your safe ride home. Please plan your safe ride home before going out.”

Drivers out and about this evening may encounter a different kind of check stop as MADD and PAPS partner to run a joint ‘sobriety’ check stop where sober drivers will be given gift cards as a reward for making a safe choice.

SGI is also part of the campaign to raise awareness.

—

susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow