COQUITLAM, B.C. – With the holiday season around the corner, Westcan Bulk Transport and MADD Canada are shining a light on the perils of impaired driving.

As part of the 2019 effort, Westcan and MADD have made Jeremy Cook the face of the Impaired Driving Prevention Campaign. Cook was hospitalized after being involved in a collision six years ago that was caused by an impaired driver.

“Impaired driving claims lives and causes life-changing injuries every day,” said Cook, who was 15 years old when the collision occurred. “No one should ever have to go through this. I’m sharing my photo and my story so that people can better understand the consequences of impaired driving, and so that they’ll call police if they see a driver they think might be impaired.”

Cook’s photo will be decaled on 40 of Westcan’s truck trailers in B.C. The trailers will include a message encouraging the public to call 911 to report suspected impaired drivers.

The incident that put Cook in hospital happened Oct. 11, 2013. The car he was a passenger in was struck by an impaired driver who ran a red light at a high speed. Cook suffered serious injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, broken bones, a collapsed lung, and long-term damage to his eyes.

Westcan and MADD Canada have partnered since 2012 to help discourage impaired driving.

“Road safety is a major priority in our business,” said Howard August, executive vice-president of Canadian operations for Westcan. “This program highlights the very real consequences of impaired driving, and reminds the public about the important role we can all play in helping police take these dangerous drivers off the roads. We are honored to share Jeremy’s story, and the stories of others victims, in the ongoing effort to prevent these senseless tragedies.”

In total, 240 Westcan truck trailers in Western Canada and Ontario display decals as part of the effort.

“Sharing the powerful stories of victims is a crucial way to educate the public about the toll of impaired driving, and emphasize the importance of always driving sober,” said Dawn Regan, MADD COO. “We thank Jeremy for telling his story, and we thank Westcan Bulk Transport for delivering this message to the public.”