Those driving around the city of Saskatoon this summer will probably come across a recurring awareness campaign organized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

A crashed car, with a crumpled exterior and broken windows, aims to represent the aftermath of a collision induced by an impaired driver.

Bonny Stevenson, President of MADD Saskatoon, says warmer weather means more celebration, which in turn could mean making the choice to get behind the wheel after drinking. She encourages people to make arrangements for a safe ride home before you leave the house.

“There’s nothing hard about calling a cab or using some of our rideshare services. First Choice is awesome. They take you and your vehicle home. It doesn’t matter if you’ve had way too many or one too many.”

Stevenson lost her son Quinn to an impaired driver when he was just 17 years old, and she wants youth to know that if they ever need a ride home, calling mom, dad, or another trusted family member is always an option.

“They may not be really happy getting woken up at 3:00 in the morning at the time, but I can guarantee they’ll be a whole lot happier than if they have an officer standing on their front step at 6:30 in the morning, telling them their son or daughter is deceased.”

She says youth in rural Saskatchewan often face the moral dilemma of getting in a vehicle with an impaired driver.

“I think it’s very important that you sit down with your group, and you plan who is the driver for the night. Craig and I spoke to the Humboldt Broncos this fall. It was interesting because Humboldt just lost their cab service, and so the coach mandated who was the driver for the weekends, and I thought that was awesome.”

The Crashed Car is currently parked at the corner of Berini and Attridge Drive but will be moved to different locations around the city throughout the summer.