As it has for the last 20 years, CAA-Quebec is giving a boost to the annual Opération Nez Rouge holiday safe-ride-home program, which kicks off in Quebec on Friday, Nov. 25.
CAA-Quebec estimates that 15,000 motorists have had their licences suspended for impaired driving.
While the costs are more than financial — endangering lives and risking damage to personal, professional and social lives — “the financial consequences are clearly worth thinking about,” Sophie Gagnon, VP Communications and Public Affairs, said in a statement.
Those financial costs could include: a $1,000 fine, legal representation, additional SAAQ fees, mandatory drug testing and followup Alcofrein sessions.
Beyond Nez Rouge, CAA-Quebec recommends other safe-ride options including its own CAA Safe Ride Service, Point Zero Eight, planned carpooling and designated drivers as well as taxis, ride-sharing services and public transport.
If you’d like to volunteer for the 2016 season, you are invited to fill out this application form.
On the eve of the 2016 Opération Nez Rouge, here are some other numbers to consider.
Nez Rouge by the numbers
• 11,408 safe rides home in Montreal in 2015, 60,741 across Quebec
• 441 rides offered in a single night in 2015, the last Friday before Christmas, which is always the busiest night
• 10,000 volunteers over 35 days in 2015
• 1 day of suspended service, on Dec. 29, 2015, after Montreal was hit with 39.2 cm of snow
• 37 days of safe rides are being offered in 2016 from Friday, Nov. 25 through Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016
• 61 communities in Quebec offer Nez Rouge rides, among 100 cities across seven Canadian provinces
• 10 in Quebec will provide estimated wait times: Laval, Montreal, Longueuil, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Outaouais, Drummondville, Trois-Rivières, Saguenay and Rimouski
• $1.5 million of donations collected, on average, by volunteer drivers, $20 million since 1984, which are passed on local youth or amateur sports organizations
• 2 apps on which you can summon a ride, for iOS or Android or call 514-256-2510
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