MLA offers safe new year's drives

An MLA in western P.E.I. will be out late this weekend to make sure more Islanders get home safely after a night of New Year's Eve partying.

Hal Perry will be shuttling people around the Tignish area in his seven-passenger van, driving people home from their late night celebrations. Perry has always been an active volunteer in his community, but this is the first year he's done this.

"I have two teenage boys. I want to teach them responsibility that you can't drink and drive, there are other alternatives," he said.

There will only be one cab operating in the area New Year's Eve, so Perry's free rides will be a welcome added service.

"So people have the tendency to say, 'Well I'm only going a short distance,' or 'I'll take the back roads to go home.' Drinking and driving can affect not only that driver, but it can affect so many other people," he said.

P.E.I. has one of the highest rates of drinking and driving in the country. RCMP report since April there've been more than 100 impaired driving convictions in Prince County.

Perry said if he can stop one drunk driver from getting behind the wheel it'll be worth sipping coffee on New Year's Eve rather than champagne.

Perry hopes to expand the service with more drivers next year.