Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, an average of four Canadians will be killed and 175 injured in motor vehicle crashes caused by impaired driving. With the holiday season upon us, I want to remind everyone of the devastating consequences of impaired driving and to acknowledge the efforts of those working hard to eliminate the needless devastation it causes.
Impaired driving ruins lives and tears families apart. Unfortunately, I know this all too well because it has left an irrevocable impact on my own family. Mothers Against Drunk Driving estimate that almost 1,500 people are killed and more than 63,000 are injured every year in Canada in impairment-related motor vehicle crashes.
Families are left to deal with the devastating loss of loved ones, and those who survive often find their lives permanently altered by the lasting, disabling effects of physical and emotional injury. First responders must deal with the carnage on our roads, and communities must come to terms with the loss of valuable contributors to community life.
This year, the NWT chapter of Students Against Destructive Driving achieved a milestone 25 years of advocacy in Northwest Territories. I want to pay tribute to Michele Thoms, vice-principal of Ecole St. Patrick School and the teacher advisor to SADD, for her 25-year commitment to the cause, the safety of her students, and the safety of all Northerners.
As an intern with the Department of Transportation, one of the first projects I was able to work on was the strategy to reduce impaired driving, under the leadership of Minister Michael McLeod.
The project was a testament to the power of consistent and effective youth activism as the St. Pat's SADD group contributed directly to this legislation. For this reason, I also want to express my sincere appreciation to the many youth advocates who have participated in SADD since its inception.
Mr. Speaker, impaired driving is not only caused by alcohol but also by drugs. We have just passed the one-year mark since the legalization of cannabis. I want to ask every Northerner to make the choice not to drive when impaired. Take a taxi, be the designated diver, stay the night at a friend's, or leave your car behind because, even though your car might not be there in the morning, thankfully, you will be.
While impaired driving rates across Canada have continued to decline over the last 25 years, impaired driving rates in the NWT are still five times the national average. As citizens and as a government, we must do more to make impaired driving a thing of the past. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.