For many motorists, the sight of a possible drunk driver swerving around the roads can leave a helpless feeling.

You may want to try and stop them, but you're not sure if it's an emergency worthy of a 911 call.

A new campaign launched in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam is hoping to change that mindset in motorists.

Report Impaired Drivers, or RID, is a program to remind the public it's OK to report a drunk driver to 911.

As part of the campaign, which was unveiled in Port Coquitlam Tuesday, signs alerting drivers of RID will be placed around both cities at gateways and high visibility areas.

It's the kind of call that Markita Kaulius believes could have saved her daughter's life.

A drunk driver killed Kaulius' daughter Kassandra in May 2011 while driving home from a softball game in Surrey.

She noted the driver had travelled quite a distance before the crash, and had someone placed a call to 911 along the way, her daughter might still be alive today.

"I can't put into words how devastating it is to a family," Kaulius said of the aftermath of having a loved one killed by an impaired driver.

"People think 'I don't want to get someone in trouble,' but they may be saving that person's life, or they may be saving someone two blocks down the road who may become a victim of their impaired driving."

RCMP Insp. Ted Emanuels, with the Lower Mainland District Traffic Services, said the RID campaign is the next step in the fight against drinking and driving.

He suggested drivers haven't always considered calling 911 because it's viewed as not being a traditional crime or emergency.

"We want to deal with that person before they kill someone," Emanuels said, noting six people have been killed in the Lower Mainland in alcohol-related crashes in 2012.

He said not only is the hope that RID will prompt people to call in more drunk drivers, but also make motorists think twice before they get behind the wheel intoxicated.

The campaign was originally rolled out in Maple Ridge, with the two Tri-Cities communities next on the list.

The plan is to have RID signs posted throughout Lower Mainland communities.

A total of nine signs will be posted in Coquitlam, including one at the Maquabeak Park boat launch, while another eight will be erected throughout Port Coquitlam.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is providing the signs, while the two municipalities are covering their installation.

PoCo Mayor Greg Moore said it was a "no brainer" for the municipality to team up with MADD on the program.

"It made so much sense for us to do just this little thing that we can do that might have so much impact," he said.

Moore hopes not only will the campaign save lives, but also be a reminder people can call 911 when they spot a drunk driver.

"I think sometimes some of the most simplest ideas are the best ones, I think this is one of them," he said.

The RCMP note when a member of the public does call 911 to make a report, to provide as much detail as possible, like the location, licence plate number and vehicle description.

jdeutsch@thenownews.com