High-School-Drill-Designed-to-Reduce-Drunk-Driving-Accidents-Among-Teens-ImageEvery 15 minutes, someone in the United States is killed by a drunk driver. And while you may pledge not to drink and drive, you share the roads with people who haven’t made the same declaration. In other words, a single drunk driver can put everyone at risk.

This is the lesson that officials are hoping some high school students take away from an annual drill held at their school. According to YourHoustonNews.com, Tarkington High School began the program “Forever Changed” in 2002 and has been doing it every year.

The program is aimed at opening teens’ eyes to the fact that drunk driving auto accidents can and do kill people, including, potentially, their friends and family members.

Students in the junior and senior classes watched as their classmates, emergency responders, and other local officials put on a mock car accident.

In the drunk-driving accident, one teen posed as the intoxicated driver who was left uninjured. However, his passengers and the car he hit were all injured and damaged to one extent or another, with some passengers screaming for help and others feigning unconsciousness.

Firefighters and local responders arrived on the scene and pretended that it was a real accident, working to remove the victims from the vehicles and loading them on stretchers. The student acting as the drunk driver was handcuffed and stuffed in the back of a police car.

Even parents got involved, arriving on the scene to find that their child had become a “victim”. Students in the audience were affected, some of them breaking down in tears.

All of the actors were declared dead, either at the scene or after being transported to the hospital.

Also, throughout the day students were plucked from their classrooms—one every 15 minutes—and transformed into the Walking Dead, with faces painted ghostly white to represent death. These teens represented the drunk-driving victims killed every 15 minutes.

Officials hope the exercise will help bring home the seriousness of driving under the influence, keep kids safe, and reduce the number of drunk-driving accidents.

Houston Accident Attorney

When you or your child are hit or even killed by a drunk driver, the consequences can last a lifetime. Houston car accident lawyer Kevin Krist may be able to help you get the justice you deserve. Contact our office today by calling 281-677-3961 for a free consultation.