Rural firefighters combatting drunk driving by offering safe rides home

Members of the volunteer fire department in Davidson, Sask. are looking to curb impaired driving in their community by taking the wheel.

Firefighters are now offering free rides home at weddings, driving party-goers home in their own vehicles instead of allowing them to drive themselves.

Firefighters even run the bar during the weddings, giving them a good sense as to the inebriation level of their guests.

"We thought it was a pretty good service and it gets our volunteer firemen out into the public," said Fire Chief Clayton Schilling.

Anti drunk-driving campaigner Allan Kerpan is thrilled at the idea of rural volunteers taking the matter into their own hands.

"I'm so happy to hear that the Davidson fire department is doing this," Kerpan said. "It affords people the opportunity to go out and have a drink or two and still get home without driving."

Kerpan's daughter, Danille, was killed in 2014 after leaving Davidson when she was hit head-on by a drunk driver who was on the wrong side of Highway 11. Since then, Kerpan, the former politician has advocated for harsher sentences for impaired drivers and programs to help stem the problem.

Impaired driving has been a serious issue in rural Saskatchewan for decades. Many areas do not have access to transit or taxi services, meaning it's difficult to get home safely after a night of drinking.

According to numbers from SGI, there were 29 fatal alcohol or drug-related collisions on provincial highways and five on rural roads last year. There werethree fatalities within cities.

"I really believe the drinking and driving problem is larger in rural Saskatchewan than it tends to be in the cities," he said. "There are limited ways for people to get home."

Fire Chief Schilling said the program got its start driving people home from Christmas parties, but spread to weddings after members of the public asked for the service.

Schilling believes the impaired driving situation in rural areas is improving, and their program is helping the situation.