Prom choice:taxi or hearse
By Aidan Chafe
The Chilliwack Times
Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Figuring out a safe ride home after all the drinking is done is usually the last thing planned before prom night, but it should be priority number one.

That's what local firefighters and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) reminded seniors Tuesday at Chilliwack secondary as they hosted Choose Your Ride, a campaign against drunk driving.

"We've had this display for about 10 years. As soon as spring starts kids start to party and we try to hit them with this image as much as possible," retired firefighter and MADD representative Martin Traas said. "Saving lives is really what this is all about."

To accentuate the realism of the tragic events often seen at the scene after the crash, the team set up a display with a taxi, a fire truck, and a black hearse funeral car accompanied by a dourly dressed driver just outside the front of the school. In the past they've displayed a vehicle wreck with a tow truck, to show the damage a high impact collision can cause.

"They have choices," Traas said. "The first choice is taxi, another choice would be a police car if they get caught drunk driving. The wrong choice would be the fire truck having to rescue you out of your vehicle for impaired driving. The worst case of course is they take you in that hearse."

Firefighters were also handing out red ribbons and sharing their own personal tragedies to help drive home the message.

"I've seen and heard about all kinds of horror stories," Traas said. "We just want these kids to enjoy themselves during this time, but to also make the right decision."