There are few things as iconic to the end of a person’s life as a hearse, a casket, and a tombstone. For Steinbach resident Dave Redl, these are the very symbols he needs in order to drive home a bold message he calls The Last Responder Project.
His unique campaign to end texting-while-driving was stimulated in part by his experience as a truck driver. He’s seen countless examples of people texting while cruising down the highway, at times using their knee to drive in order to have both hands free for their cell phone.
His experience on the road, coupled with an opportunity to buy a hearse at a rock-bottom price, was the impetus behind his impassioned mission to demonstrate the stark realities behind the phenomena.
“The reason why I chose a hearse is because you can’t associate it with anything but death,” says Redl. “[I chose to call the campaign] the Last Responder because your first responder is always your fire department, EMS, and RCMP.”
Redl adds that the funeral home is typically the last to respond, once it’s all over. “We’re gonna be your last ride,” Redl says of his mock getup. “We’re the last guy to respond to a call.”
Since its purchase last year, Redl has outfitted the ’93 Cadillac hearse with a series of hard-hitting messages. The bold print on the sides of the hearse states, “Dying to send a reply? Stay alive. Don’t text and drive.” The front license plate asks, “R U Next”. If you’re following him from the rear, you’ll see the most poignant message of all: “Still texting and driving? C U Soon.” The rear window of the hearse carries the vivid image of feet with a toe tag.
“I’m not someone who’s afraid to offend. That’s where the aggressive approach came in,” Redl says.
The decked-out hearse has since become his main ride, and he cruises the streets of Steinbach and other communities in an attempt to send a strong message to other drivers. But Redl has bigger plans for his campaign, taking it to the next level by hosting awareness presentations in high schools, community events, and trade shows.
Redl and his display have already been invited to a school in Virden where he has collaborated with the local fire department and emergency response teams. An outdoor visual display will include a mock car crash with emergency crews attempting to save the lives of a group of high school drama students acting as the dead or injured. A pine box casket, located in the rear of his hearse, will be carried in by a group of six local teens, preferably those recommended by a teacher as typical texting drivers.
Inside the gymnasium, Redl and associates will address students with the casket and gravestone in full display. Redl plans to use real-life stories as told to him by those who’ve lost loved ones in these preventable tragedies as well as graphic photo images of actual crash scenes. To end, Redl intends to have a red ink blotter available, requesting that each student leave their thumbprint upon the casket’s exterior.
“I’m using [the casket] for what we like to call the Pledge for Life,” says Redl. “That symbol [of leaving a thumbprint] is going to burn into your brain. It’s going to be something that you remember 30 years from now.”
Redl’s dream doesn’t stop there. He and his cohorts, a retired RCMP staff sergeant and a current RCMP officer, hope to see this campaign go international. Within a few years, Redl says he’d like to see Last Responder chapters in every state and province in North America.
Redl has been invited to present his message in a variety of places, including as far away as Tennessee, but without financial support the cost is prohibitive. Add to that the cost of purchasing a used car for the crash display, he says his full presentation could cost as much as $1,000 per event. Fire departments and emergency service staff are usually very receptive to participating, he says, as they gain valuable training through the mock presentations.
“I know I’m doing something right when the Canadian Trucking Show has offered me a free booth valued at about $3,000,” says Redl. He also plans to attend parades throughout Manitoba this summer.
