Awareness Campaigns - Project Red Ribbon
Twenty-five years ago, MADD Canada started an awareness campaign to get the public thinking about the need for safe and sober driving.
Project Red Ribbon targeted the Christmas and New Year holiday season because it was the busiest time of year on most social calendars. With lots of holiday parties and events, and lots of glasses being raised for toasts, the risk for impaired driving was especially high at that time of year. Our red ribbon – tied to a vehicle antenna – was a reminder of the importance of always driving sober.
Twenty-five years later, some progress has been made. Significant reductions in impaired driving were seen over the early years, thanks to a combination of federal and provincial impaired driving legislation, increased police enforcement and education and awareness efforts. But today, the rates of impaired driving remain high. Every year, between 1,250 and 1,500 Canadians are killed and close to 64,000 injured in impaired driving crashes.
And so MADD Canada's red ribbon continues to fly as a symbol of our ongoing effort to stop impaired driving, and as a tribute to all victims who have been killed or injured in impaired driving crashes.
From November 1 to the first Monday after January 1st, MADD Canada Chapters, Community Leaders, volunteers and supporters will be out in force, distributing millions of red ribbons for Canadians to tie on the vehicles, key chains, purses, briefcases and backpacks.
Learn more about the history of Project Red Ribbon.
- Project Red Ribbon press releases
- Read about Project Red Ribbon in the news
- Get our Project Red Ribbon poster and bookmark
- Photo Gallery (Flickr)
The small but powerful ribbon symbolizes the wearers' commitment to sober driving and reminds us all that the deaths and injuries resulting from impairment-related crashes are needless and preventable.
Never drive impaired or ride with an impaired driver.
Plan ahead if you're going to be drinking. Take a cab or bus, arrange a designated driver or plan to stay over.
If you see a driver you suspect is impaired, call 911 to report it to police. For information on the signs of an impaired driver and what to do, visit our Campaign 911 page.
You can get your red ribbon by donating online here on our web site, visiting one of our many sponsors' outlets, or contacting your nearest MADD Canada Chapter or Community Leader.
You can also support Project Red Ribbon with a text donation. Text "madd" to 45678 to donate $5. Your one-time donation is added to your cell phone and payable to your service provider.
MADD Canada longs for the day when impaired driving is eliminated. Until then, we want to see our red ribbon everywhere as our commitment to making roads and communities safe from impaired driving, this holiday season and all year round.
A special word of thanks goes out to all our Project Red Ribbon sponsors, including our newest partner, RTL-Westcan Group of Companies. For a full list of the generous companies which support Project Red Ribbon, please click here.
2012 Project Red Ribbon press releases
- Minister Attends Launch of Project Red Ribbon (November 13, 2012)
- Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on the 25th anniversary of MADD Canada's Project Red Ribbon campaign (November 2, 2012)
- MADD Canada and Allstate Canada Launch 25th Annual Project Red Ribbon to Prevent Impaired Driving This Holiday Season (November 1, 2012)
Read about Project Red Ribbon in the news
- A toast to the holidays (December 19, 2012)
- Candy Cane Check Stop seeks educate on the dangers of impaired driving (December 17, 2012)
- MADD partners with Kia (December 13, 2012)
- Celebrating responsibly (December 12, 2012)
- Plan ahead for a safe ride home this holiday season: Police (December 7, 2012)
- MADD program launches Project Red Ribbion along with OPP on Nov. 25 (December 5, 2012)
- The message is clear (December 5, 2012)
- MADD chapter urging Islanders not to drink and drive (December 4, 2012)
- Many motorists aren't getting the message about the dangers of drinking and driving: Police (December 02, 2012)
- Red ribbons honour victims (November 29, 2012)
- Northumberland OPP Festive RIDE program underway (November 29, 2012)
- Anti-drunk driving campaign launched in Surrey, B.C. (November 28, 2012)
- Police kickoff Festive RIDE season (November 26, 2012)
- Drunk driving victim speaks out at MADD launch (November 25, 2012)
- Spreading the message against drunk driving (November 25, 2012)
- RIDEzilla rides again (November 24, 2012)
- Police remind drivers in kickoff of Operation Christmas (November 23, 2012)
- EDITORIAL (November 23, 2012)
- MADD's red ribbon turns 25 (November 22, 2012)
- MADD brings campaign to Alberton (November 21, 2012)
- Drinking and driving related deaths down 46 per cent; new laws credited (November 21, 2012)
- Ignition interlocks on way for drunk drivers (November 20, 2012)
- MADD tolls raise $15,400 in Lambton (November 19, 2012)
- Red Ribbon Campaign launched in Valley (November 19, 2012)
- Celebrating the holidays responsibly (November 18, 2012)
- Red Ribbon campaign launching this weekend (November 15, 2012)
- Kicking off another year for the Red Ribbon Campaign (November 14, 2012)
- Seeing red (November 14, 2012)
- Red ribbons reminder: Please don't drink and drive (November 14, 2012)
- MADD red ribbon campaign launched (November 13, 2012)
- Red Ribbon Campaign Launched (November 13, 2012)
- MADD red ribbon campaign begins (November 13, 2012)
- 25th Anniversary (November 13, 2012)
- MADD Launching Red Ribbon Campaign Today (November 13, 2012)
- Local Branch Launches Campaign (November 9, 2012)
- MADD Launches Holiday Season Campaign (November 8, 2012)
- MADD kicks off 25th Project Red Ribbon campaign, Conservative senator lends support to campaign (November 8, 2012)
- Kickoff to MADD Canada's annual Red Ribbon campaign (November 7, 2012)
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving Calgary launches 25th Project Red Ribbon Campaign (November 7, 2012)
- Project Red Ribbon marks start of the holiday season (November 7, 2012)
- MADD launches red ribbon campaign (November 7, 2012)
- Annual red ribbon campaign launched at police HQ (November 7, 2012)
- 2012 Project Red Ribbon Campaign to promote sober driving this holiday season(November 5, 2012)
- MADD Campaign Begins in Timmins (November 4, 2012)
- Nunavut declares Nov. 1 as "Mothers Against Drunk Driving Project Red Ribbon Day" (November 3, 2012)
- Province says drunk drivers being steered off the roads by tougher rules (November 2, 2012)
- There's a lot RIDE-ing if you drink and drive in Durham (November 2, 2012)
- Mom has right to be MADD (November 2, 2012)
- MADD Red Ribbon Campaign (November 2, 2012)
- Project Red Ribbon aims to spread sober driving message (November 2, 2012)
- MADD Red Ribbon campaign underway (November 2, 2012)
- The MADD Red Ribbon Campaign is 25 This Year (November 2, 2012)
- MADD Launches Red Ribbon Campaign (November 2, 2012)
- MADD holiday campaign kicks off Saturday (Nov. 3) at London's Airport Kia (November 2, 2012)
- Red ribbons to promote driving sober (November 2, 2012)
- Red ribbons flutter in annual fight against drunk driving (November 2, 2012)
- Red Ribbon Campaign Launched (November 2, 2012)
- MADD marks 25 years of Project Red Ribbon (November 1, 2012)
- MADD Launches Red Ribbon Campaign (November 1, 2012)
- MADD launches 25th red ribbon campaign (November 1, 2012)
- MADD Canada launches 25th annual Red Ribbon campaign (November 1, 2012)
- MADD Whitehorse Launches Project Red Ribbon (November 1, 2012)
- MADD launching Red Ribbon Campaign (October 24, 2012)
Get our Project Red Ribbon poster and bookmark
- Click here to download the Project Red Ribbon poster
- Click here to download the Project Red Ribbon bookmark
Find out more...
Official Sponsor
The Allstate Insurance Company of Canada is proud to be an official sponsor of MADD Canada
Did You Know?
Over 1 million ribbons are distributed to Canadians during Project Red Ribbon.
