Safe Ride Home Sudbury won’t be happening this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the past 21 years, the service has ensured thousands of Sudburians and their vehicles received a safe ride home to prevent impaired driving.
“With deep regret, we have decided to suspend our service for the 2020 holiday season,” said Lesli Green, president and founder of Safe Ride Home Sudbury. “The safety of our volunteers and clients is paramount during the current pandemic.”
Green said the organization’s mission is greater than the driving service volunteers provide, and an important component of Safe Ride Home Sudbury has always been educating and promoting awareness about the prevention of impaired driving.
“Because the impaired driving issue is as important as ever, we will continue our community education initiatives,” Green said in a press release. “With the support of our community partners, we will deliver our important message throughout the 2020 holiday season.”
The message is really quite simple, Green said: Plan for a designated driver, call someone you know or take public transportation. Whatever it takes, don’t drive impaired.
Greater Sudbury Police Chief Paul Pedersen said the service has worked collaboratively with Safe Ride Home Sudbury and its predecessor for more than 20 years.
“Safe Ride Home Sudbury has proven to be one of the best crime prevention initiatives in the fight against impaired driving through a robust education and awareness campaign coupled with its volunteer services,” Pedersen said. “Although the COVID-19 pandemic has changed service delivery for Safe Ride Home Sudbury, they continue to support our efforts through education and awareness. Road safety is a shared commitment and crime prevention starts with you making the responsible choice to plan ahead. The choice to save lives is yours.”
