RNC chief says officers 'will be looking for you' in message to impaired drivers over holidays

The chief of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary had a short and sweet message for impaired drivers heading into the holidays.

"We will be looking for you," Pat Roche said during MADD Canada's kick off of its annual red ribbon campaign.

"I can give you my commitment that our officers, along with our partners at the RCMP, will be on your highways throughout this season."

Advocates are calling on the public to wear a red ribbon in solidarity with the fight against impaired driving and to show others they made a promise.

The Red Ribbon Project is an annual event. The ribbons represent the lives lost due to impaired driving.

The ribbon is also a symbol of a pledge.

"It is a very powerful statement," said Patricia Hynes-Coates, former MADD Canada president during a press conference on Friday.

"[It's] a pledge not to drive while impaired by drugs or alcohol or a combination."

Hynes-Coates has been sharing her story for eleven years. Her stepson, Nick Coates, was struck by a drunk driver on Kenmount Road in St. John's while on his motorcycle in 2013.

And as the holiday season begins to pick up steam, more people will be attending events and parties. Hynes-Coates says the celebrations come with the risk that someone will choose to drive impaired, putting their lives in dangers and those of others.

Red ribbons will be distributed from Dec. 6 until Jan. 6 at MADD Canada locations across the province.

The goal is to send out this clear message, especially at this time of year.

Justice Minister Bernard Davis declared on Friday that Dec. 6 will be Project Red Ribbon Day in the province.

"It's all about starting that conversation that needs to be had," said Davis.

"Putting a red ribbon on your car, your book bag, or your keychain is not going to hurt anybody, but it could help someone ask a question about why it's there."

He says that one conversation with a stranger might be what convinces someone to act differently and save a life.

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