Don’t be surprised in the next couple of weeks if you see a handful of road signs suggesting you report drunk drivers.
The Comox Valley chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has reached out to the Valley’s three municipal governments to seek approval to put up road signs urging drivers to report impaired drivers.
The Town of Comox has already approved the installation of the signs, according to Comox Valley MADD founder Leslie Wells. The signs will be located at the town’s entrance on Comox Avenue and just north of the Guthrie Road and Anderton Road intersection.
Wells says the signs in Comox should be installed within the next couple of weeks.
“We have approval for a couple of signs in Comox and we’re reaching out to the Village of Cumberland and the City of Courtenay [for approval],” she said. “The City of Courtenay has asked us to send them pictures of the signs we’d like to install.”
Brad Matchett, the head of the Comox Valley RCMP’s municipal traffic section, says reports from citizens are crucial to decreasing impaired driving in the Valley — something he says is getting worse.
Read More: Impaired driving remains a problem in the Comox Valley
“What’s important to note is that we can’t be everywhere,” said Matchett. “We do rely heavily on information from the public.
“If the public sees something [alarming] in how a vehicle is being operated, if it’s swerving, colliding with objects, or driving erratically, we would hope that person would call us and let us know. There is a possibility that the driver is impaired.”
For more information on the MADD Comox Valley chapter, visit http://bit.ly/2AJJjjO