Vacations, camping trips, barbecues, sitting out on the deck or the dock, weekends at the cottage, swimming at the lake, and so much more – there is no shortage of activities for summer-loving Canadians. 
Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of impaired driving incidents either. Long weekends such as Victoria Day and Canada Day, and the summer months in general, see spikes in impaired driving. 
But there are lots of ways to reduce the risks.
Make sure your summer isn’t ruined by an impaired driving charge or, worse, an impaired driving crash, by planning ahead, making safe choices and taking precautions. 

Plan ahead

UBER

Wherever the summer takes you, plan ahead. If there’s a chance you’ll be drinking alcohol, make arrangements for a sober ride home. There are always options available. Driving impaired is never worth the risk, to yourself, to your passengers or others on the road with you. Call an Uber or a cab, take public transit, arrange a designated driver or plan to stay over. If you’re looking for a safe, sober and reliable ride home at the push of a button, check out Uber, MADD Canada’s Official Designated Driving App.

Hosting Tips

A Social Host's Guide

If your house or cottage is the gathering spot for families and friends throughout the summer, take some simple steps to ensure none of your guests drive away impaired. 

• Have food and non-alcohol/low alcohol beverages available. 
 
• Serve drinks yourself, rather than having guests serve themselves, so you can monitor how much your guests are drinking.
• Don’t serve alcohol to anyone who is intoxicated.
• Know how your guests are getting home and who is driving. Have taxi numbers available. Be prepared to have intoxicated guests spend the night.
• Stop serving alcohol long before you expect the party to break up. 
• Track your own alcohol consumption. The more you drink, the more difficult it will be for you to anticipate problems, supervise the event and intervene to avoid potential problems. 


Social hosts have a legal responsibility to take basic precautions to protect their guests from alcohol-related harms. For more information, read: Being Sued Can Ruin a Good Party: A Social Host’s Guide .

Mocktail MADDness

MADD Virgin Drinks

Whether you are going to a BYOB gathering or you’re hosting a party at your place, get creative with the mocktails. With all the mocktail recipes available, there’s no reason that designated drivers, or guests who simply don’t want to drink that day, can’t enjoy fun, colourful summer drinks too. 
Give these mocktail recipes a try. 

• Alcohol-Free Mojito 
• Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri 
• Pomegranate Sangria Mocktail 
• Strawberry Orangeana 

Or, check out the product line from MADD Virgin Drinks, which includes ready-make alcohol-free beer, wine, mojitos and more. MADD Virgin Drinks are available at participating supermarkets, drugstores and other retailers or online at www.maddvirgindrinks.com.

Campaign 911

Everyone has a role to play

Even though most people are responsible and make safe choices, there are still many who don’t. Impaired driving remains the #1 criminal cause of death in Canada. 
Everyone has a role to play in keeping our roads and waterways safe and in reducing impaired driving crashes, deaths and injuries. MADD Canada launched Campaign 911in 2007 to encourage and empower the Canadian public to report suspected impaired drivers by calling 911. 
Every impaired driving crash is preventable. If you see a driver you suspect is impaired, call 911 to alert police. Your call could save a life. 
Visit our Campaign 911 to learn some of the signs of an impaired driving, safety tips and more.